Primary Specialists
Visual Art
Prep
In alignment with the Prep's final inquiry, students have spent the last two weeks practicing each of the eight 3D paper techniques. Building on this foundation, they selected a journey that sparked their imagination and used only 3D paper techniques to bring it to life. It has been incredible to watch them apply their new skills in crafting their sculptures. The creativity they displayed was truly impressive, and I couldn't be prouder of their efforts. Well done Preps!
Visual art
Grades 1 - 6
In Visual Arts, students have been hard at work bringing their creative visions to life as they progress through their Term 4 projects.
Grade 1 and 2 students have been using their 3D paper sculpture skills to create their final masterpieces. Grade 1 is crafting colourful rockets, while Grade 2 is designing imaginative displays of their choosing—showcasing their creativity and attention to detail.
Grade 3 students have been finalising their masks, adding finishing touches to their designs. They have also begun the reflection process, considering the inspiration, techniques, and personal meaning behind their work.
Grade 4 students are completing their collage landscapes, carefully refining their use of colour and form. They are now starting to reflect on their process and how their pieces convey the themes of land and environment.
Grade 5 students are continuing their cardboard portrait constructions, layering shapes and details to build dimensional faces. Their focus has been on creating depth and texture to enhance the expressive quality of their portraits.
Grade 6 students have been sculpting their clay dragon eyes, experimenting with techniques to add intricate texture and detail. Their designs are coming to life as they carefully consider how to bring their sketches into three-dimensional form.
It has been a fantastic week of creativity and progress, and we can’t wait to see the finished pieces!
dedication and hard work of our Spanish language learning community. Each one of you brings something unique to the table, enriching our collective learning experience.
So, here's to a term filled with growth, discovery, and endless possibilities. ¡Adelante, amigos! Let's make Term 2 a journey to remember.
Adios..
Media, with Mr. Brendan Howarth
As we progress towards the conclusion of our thirteen-week Media unit, classes are participating in various assessment pieces based on their prior learning.
Year One:
Having learned about several Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, and how those stories have survived over time, the Year One students are now branching out to explore creation stories from other cultures, including Chinese and Greek.
Year Two:
The Year Two students are wrapping up their assessment task of creating a print ad for a can of tomatoes.
Year Three:
Having extended their knowledge of framing shots for still-image photography, the Year Three students are beginning to explore basic shot types for filming. This includes camera movements, such as pan, tilt, dolly, etc.
Year Four:
Continuing their media analysis unit with the mentor text, “Thalu”, students have engaged in predictive writing and creating maps.
Year Five:
Year Five students have finished the filming portion of their short, short films. They will now break off from their groups and work individually to edit their footage into cohesive narratives.
Year Six:
In Year Six, students are progressing with their art assessment task. This involves students selecting either a personal, cultural or societal value, and representing it through an art medium of their choice.
Spanish.
Prep to Grade 2: Songs, Stories, and Fun VocabularyOur youngest learners have enjoyed interactive lessons:
- Kitchen Utensils with "Soy una Taza": Learning words like taza (cup), tenedor (fork), and batidora (mixer) through song.
- Storytime with El Muñeco de Nieve: Building reading skills with winter-themed vocabulary (nieve, invierno).
- Transport and Days of the Week: Fun songs and games reinforced these topics.
Grades 3 and 4: Culture and Reading
- Culinary Traditions: Exploring foods from Spanish-speaking countries and their cultural significance.
- Reading and Home Vocabulary: Practicing comprehension and learning words for house parts (interior, exterior).
Grades 5 and 6: Creativity and Conversation
- Country Presentations: Researching and showcasing Spanish-speaking countries with Canva and PowerPoint.
- Speaking Practice: Asking and answering questions about food and home-related vocabulary.
¡Buen trabajo a todos! It’s wonderful to see students thriving in their Spanish journey.
Hasta luego, The Spanish Team.
Mandarin With Miss Xiong
Year 1-2
Our class is embarking on an exciting journey of Chinese language learning, centered around exploring Chinese through the five senses. It is a good opportunity for students to know representative body part and facial parts in Chinese. The students are encouraged to participate in video learning, classroom discussions and art activities, which can express their imagination and feelings, further reinforcing their understanding of Chinese vocabulary and expressions.
Year 3-4
Our class is currently immersed in the exciting world of Chinese language learning, focusing on Chinese fruits. We have been utilizing various online learning platforms such as Wordwall and Kahoot! to make learning Chinese fruits interactive and fun for the students. By writing out the names of Chinese fruits in both Pinyin and characters, we've been incorporating writing practice into our lessons to strengthen the students' connection with Chinese characters and Pinyin.
Year 5-6
The enriching learning experience our class is currently undergoing, as we delve into the fascinating world of Chinese traditional culture. From exploring the dynamics of different Chinese dynasties to learning about traditional Chinese attire and even diving into the inspiring story of one of China's most iconic heroines, Mulan, we're immersing ourselves in the rich tapestry of Chinese heritage. One highlight of our cultural exploration is the viewing of Disney's Mulan, students engage in discussions and worksheet activities to reflect on Mulan's character and the cultural themes portrayed in the Chinese community.
Physical Education
In Physical Education, students from P-2 participated in the Mini Olympics event they have been working towards throughout the Term. Each class rotated through a range of activities such as soccer kick, hurdles, bean bag toss, 50m sprint, egg and spoon race and the sack race.
We are super proud of the students who took part on the day and demonstrated a courageous attitude towards the activities and displayed resilience.
Students from 3-6 have now, finished the fitness unit where they completed the beep test as the post test for the unit. Over the Term, students have worked hard during P.E lessons and encouraged to stay active outside of school hours with a range of activities provided on SchoolBox to assist them with improving their health and fitness levels.
Well done to the students who committed to the fitness unit and showed progression in the beep test.
Music
Grade Prep
This week in Prep, students began creating their own rhythmic patterns for untuned percussion instruments. They explored the concept of representing music through personal “informal notation,” using symbols and drawings that made sense to them. Some chose shapes like stars, squares, and triangles, as they had done in their earlier “sound stories,” while others represented instruments with drawings or experimented with elements of formal musical notation. Working in pairs, they composed and shared their pieces with classmates. This activity encourages children to develop their understanding of symbolic representation as a means of communicating ideas in a musical context.
Grade One
Grade One students continued creating rhythmic patterns, this time focusing on formal musical notation. They practiced drawing rhythms using familiar symbols, such as crotchets, minims, quavers, and rests. As a class, they brought these rhythms to life on untuned percussion instruments, reinforcing their grasp of musical timing and structure while adding an interactive and creative element to their learning.
Grade Two
In Grade Two, students explored the music staff as a tool for representing pitched notes. They composed short melodic ostinatos and performed them for their peers using pitched percussion instruments like the glockenspiel. This hands-on activity bridges the connection between visual notation and auditory understanding, helping students refine their musical skills.
Grade Three
Grade Three students are progressing with their recorder practice, building a solid foundation in reading music on the staff and understanding the treble clef. Building on these skills, they have started composing their own recorder pieces, applying their knowledge in a creative and meaningful way.
Grade Four
Grade Four students are mastering Noteflight, an online music notation tool. This week, they faced the exciting challenge of composing an original melody of at least eight bars. They also began adding chords to their compositions, deepening their understanding of note duration, pitch, and harmony while experimenting with how their ideas sound in a digital format.
Grades Five and Six
Students in Grades Five and Six are tackling their final composition project: creating a short soundtrack for a movie clip using GarageBand. This complex task requires them to synchronize sound with visuals, matching music, and sound effects to on-screen action. It’s a creative challenge that demands subtlety, precision, and a keen sense of how music enhances storytelling in film.
DANCE.
Primary Classes.
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks in the studio! Christmas carols are in full swing with classes coming through to learn, rehearse, and practice their chosen songs to perform for this years Saltwater Christmas Carol celebration. The energy in the room has been amazing, uplifting and vibrant, and this year looks to be one of our best carols yet!
Year 6 Graduation...(Dance)
This years Grade 6 graduation rehearsals have also begun, and students have embraced this years routine with great energy and enthusiasm. Excited by the concept and songs chosen, everyone is applying themselves completely and are eager to get on stage and close out their primary years on a strong, powerful and impactful note. With graduation only a short time away, the clock is ticking to get the final touches done for this great performance, and what’s set to be a great night ahead!
VSSS...(Dance)
Our Victorian State School Spectacular dancers returned to the studio for a couple of rehearsals, before performing their final performance this year for the secondary presentation night held this week. They had missed being in rehearsals and on the big stage, and this was a great opportunity to perform again as their energy lit up the room, and represented our school and community so well yet again! They’ve had a big year and we can’t wait to see what the new VSSS team will bring to the school and community next year.
Wakakirri/Dance Extention...(Dance)
Our Wakakirri and dance extension dancers along with a few VSSS dancers, have begun rehearsals for their first ever Christmas Carol performance also! Excited to be back in the studio all together, they haven’t missed a beat and picked up exactly where they left off. Rehearsals have started off well as we’ve been navigating through the small final touches of our Wakakirri routine, and getting ready to bring our Christmas Carol routine and performance to this years showcase with a whole lot of fun and energy! Everyone is so excited and the rehearsals have been such a fun experience for everyone! We hope you enjoy and look forward to seeing you all there!
