Below is a 'What's Happening' about each of our five specialist programs during Term 2, shared from our Specialist teaching team.

Environmental Science

This term in Environmental Science our over arching theme is “Water” but we are taking a different approach this year. Beaumaris Primary has been very lucky to be included in a program put together by the Deakin Sea.Ed team and I am sure the students will learn an enormous amount and thoroughly enjoy it too.

The project entitled Using children’s literature to teach marine science concepts has been conducted by Cátia Freitas at Deakin University, Victoria, under the supervision of Dr Prue Francis, Dr Alecia Bellgrove and Dr Paul Venzo.

The promotion of ocean literacy in schools is the starting point to develop a more ocean literate society and the guide we will be using offers educational activities and ideas on how to use children’s literature, such as picture books, to promote critical and creative thinking, enhance students’ knowledge and connection with the ocean, and inspire stewardship of their local marine environment.

Please follow the link for an introduction to the program -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbsg3fR29X4

For your information, the activities the students will be participating in are linked to the following children’s picture books about the biodiversity of the temperate marine environment of the southern coast of Australia:

1. The Hidden Forest by Jeannie Baker (2005)

2. The Underwater Forest by Rebecca Morris and Matt Howorth (2020)

3. The Way of the Weedy Seadragon by Anne Morgan and Lois Bury (2021)

4. With a Little Kelp from Our Friends by Mathew Bate and Liz Rowland (2021)

5. Sea Country by Aunty Patsy Cameron and by Lisa Kennedy (2021)

6. The Great Southern Reef by Paul Venzo, Prue Francis, and Cate James (2022)

7. Giinagay Gaagal Hello Ocean by Melissa Greenwood (2023) 8. Secrets of the Saltmarsh by Claire Saxby and Alicia Rogerson (2023)

Where possible, walking excursions to Ricketts Point for each level will be organised to bring authenticity to the program and further enhance the students’ learning experiences. Parents and interested family members will be invited to join these excursions to share in the joy of exploring Ricketts Point from an environmental science perspective.

Resource to share: Families may like to learn more about what happens to the green and food waste that is collected - https://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/services/waste-and-recycling/what-happens-my-food-and-green-waste

Physical Education

What’s Happening in Physical Education in Term 2

Welcome to Physical Education for Term 2! This term we will make the most of the Autumn weather with as many lessons as possible planned for the outdoor playing fields.

Term 2 includes our Year 3-6 House Cross Country event, Year 4-6 District Cross Country event, winter sport and indoor sports such as volleyball and badminton. Towards the end of term students will begin preparations for the Term 3 House and District Athletics events. With cooler weather approaching please ensure students have several clothing layers to enable them to choose the appropriate clothing for PE lessons on the day. Parents are reminded that students need runners rather than leather shoes for PE and that wearing jewellery has the potential to cause injury to other students and damage to personal property during PE activities. Your help in preparing your child for PE ensures less time is lost in class time.

The Fundamental Movement Skills program for Foundation to Year 2 will provide extended practice of skills learned in PE.

What will be happening during Term 2 in PE:

Foundation

Practise fundamental movement skills and movement sequences using different body parts and in response to stimuli in indoor and outdoor settings
Participate in games with and without equipment
Follow rules when participating in physical activities

Year 1 and 2

Perform fundamental movement skills in different movement situations in indoor and outdoor settings
Incorporate elements of effort, space, time, objects and people in performing simple movement sequences
Discuss the body’s reactions to participating in physical activities

Year 3 and 4

Practise and refine fundamental movement skills in different movement situations in indoor and outdoor settings
Perform movement sequences that link fundamental movement skills for sport skills and athletics events
Adopt inclusive practices when participating in physical activities
Apply innovative and creative thinking in solving movement challenges

Year 5 and 6

Practise specialised movement skills and apply them in different movement situations in indoor, outdoor and aquatic settings
Propose and apply movement concepts and strategies
Participate in physical activities designed to enhance fitness, and discuss the impact of regular participation on health and wellbeing
Participate positively in groups and teams by encouraging others and negotiating roles and responsibilities
Apply critical and creative thinking processes in order to generate and assess solutions to movement challenges
Demonstrate ethical behaviour and fair play that aligns with the rules when participating in a range of physical activities

Year 5 and 6 Winter Sport

The District Interschool Sport program allows us to field Open and Girls teams in winter sports of AFL, Netball, Soccer, Hockey, Softball and Handball. Our remaining students will take part in an intra school competition held here at school.

Teams that are successful in the District competition will play in a Division final early in Term 3.

Please use the BPS Compass Calendar and Stop Press Term Calendar for up to date information on dates for Cross Country, Winter Sport and all other school events.

Performing Arts

In Term 2, Performing Arts lessons will focus on Dance. Each week, students will engage with various cultural and national dances from around the world, gaining insight into the significance of dance as a form of belonging within communities. They will develop skills such as teamwork, perseverance, and creative thinking as they are challenged to make, perform, and respond to dance pieces. Students will also analyse a range of international dance styles, developing an understanding of the Elements of Dance.

If there are any families at Beaumaris who are passionate about dance and wish to share their culture via the Performing Arts, please do not hesitate to reach out! The students and I would love to share this experience with our school community and learn from the diverse community we have within BPS!

Prep and Year 1

Prep students are learning about the ‘Dance Ants!’ They are exploring how we use Space, Energy, Time, Movement, and Connections to create dance. In class, students will travel through a variety of styles – from Hip-Hop to Hula! They will also learn some ‘old-fashioned’ dance moves before starring in their very own black and white film!

Year 2

Year 2 students are also exploring the ‘Dance Ants!’ They are learning how we use Space, Energy, Time, Movement, and Connections to create dance. Students will journey through many dance styles, including Bollywood and the Polish Polka, before choreographing their own Soccer World Cup dance.

Years 3 and 4

Students in Year 3 are beginning to explore the Elements of Dance. Throughout Term 2, they will practise applying these elements as they engage with dance forms from Indonesia, the USA, and Australia. They will build on their knowledge and teamwork skills to create their own line dance.

Year 5

Year 5 students will explore the Elements of Dance through a variety of styles such as Capoeira, First Nations dance, and Breakdancing. They will use these skills to choreograph and film a continuous shot music video.(Look up any video by OK Go for inspiration!)

Year 6

Term 2 is a fantastic opportunity for Year 6 students to explore the Elements of Dance as we begin to choreograph the 2025 Year 6 Musical – Aladdin. Students will draw from a range of cultural inspirations to workshop and assist in creating choreography for the musical. They will also begin rehearsing the music for the production!

Glee Club

Glee Club did an outstanding job rehearsing in Term 1 and performing at the Easter Assembly!This year, Glee Club is open to Year 4, Year 5, and Year 6 students and meets every Tuesday during the first half of lunch.It’s a wonderful opportunity for students who love to sing and perform to come together and have fun.Please see Ms Pholi with any questions or to join the club.

Musical Update

Well done to the amazingly brave and well-rehearsed students who auditioned in Term 1 for our 2025 Musical Production – Aladdin.We were blown away by the talent, effort, and excitement that students brought to the auditions!We can’t wait to dive into rehearsals!

Many have asked about performance dates – please see below:

Musical Dates

📅 Friday 29th August – Dress Rehearsals (within school hours)

🎭 Tuesday 2nd September – Cast A Performance (Cast B also required)

🎭 Wednesday 3rd September – Cast B Performance (Cast A also required)

🕒 Days until performance: 127

Looking forward to a busy and exciting Term 2!

Be good, and be good at it!

Ms Pholi

Visual Art

Hoppy Easter and welcome back to Term 2 in Visual Arts, we will begin the term celebrating the women in our lives by crafting some special take home gifts to share. This term, students across the school will concentrate on Modelling and Construction in Visual Arts. They will enhance their clay hand building skills and experiment with a range of techniques and tools. Students will also engage in creating artworks using different construction materials. As they work, they’ll further explore and apply the elements and principles of art, such as line, colour, form, space, texture and balance. 

We hope you have enjoyed our very own gallery display of the student’s self portraits in the hallways and the art room, they have showcased some amazing talent and have learnt various skills to draw in proportion. 

Foundation

We have a busy term planned, designing, creating and making in our Visual Arts sessions. Firstly, we will be celebrating the women in our lives by crafting a special take home gift. Then we will move onto our whole school term focus of Modelling and Construction. Students will develop clay hand building skills and techniques and have the opportunity to explore the limitations of clay producing their own model. The Foundation students will be modelling and painting a family member pinch pot, connecting to their Geography study about community connections. Then we will dive into experimenting with a variety of construction materials, creating a sculpture. They will share and reflect on their art with their peers, through the self-assessment process.

Year 1

We have a busy term planned, designing, creating and making in our Visual Arts sessions. Firstly, we will be celebrating the women in our lives by crafting a special take home gift. Then we will move onto our whole school term focus of Modelling and Construction. Students will develop clay hand building skills and techniques and have the opportunity to explore the limitations of clay producing their own model. The Year 1 students will be modelling and painting a clay face pinch pot, based on a family member of their choice. Then we will dive into experimenting with a variety of construction materials. Students will then construct a 3D puppet. They will share and reflect on their art with their peers, through the self-assessment process.

Year 2

In our Visual Arts sessions, we will be designing, creating and making throughout the term. Firstly, we will be recognising the women in our lives by producing a special take home gift. After that, we'll shift to Modelling and Construction as our entire school term focus. In addition to learning clay hand building techniques and skills, students will have the opportunity to investigate the constraints of creating their own models out of clay. The Year 2 students will mould and manipulate clay to form a botanical inspired artwork linking to their knowledge unit on connection to place. Then we will dive into experimenting with a variety of construction materials. Students will continue to explore making connections to place and construct a 3D sculpture. Using the self- assessment method, they will present and discuss their artwork with their peers.

Year 3

This term in Visual Arts is set to be an exciting one, filled with designing, creating and making. We’ll begin by honouring the women in our lives with a special handmade gift to take home. Following this, we’ll move into our whole school focus on Modelling and Construction. Students will strengthen their clay hand building skills, exploring techniques and the unique qualities of clay as they create their own models. Year 3 students will design a three-dimensional sculpture inspired by their learning about Connection to Country. Later in the term, they will continue exploring this theme by using a variety of construction materials to build a 3D sculpture. Students will also take part in self-assessment, sharing and reflecting on their creative work with their classmates.

Year 4

We have an exciting and full term ahead in Visual Arts, filled with designing, making and creating. We'll begin by honouring the important women in our lives with a special handcrafted gift to take home. Following that, we’ll dive into our whole school focus on Modelling and Construction. Students will build their clay hand building skills, exploring what clay can and can't do as they design and create their own models. Year 4 students will take this a step further by crafting a clay representation of a place in our local community, tying in with their classroom unit. Later in the term, we’ll experiment with a range of construction materials to create a creature inspired by Yayoi Kusama. Students will also engage in self-assessment, sharing and reflecting on their artworks with their classmates.

Year 5

We have an exciting and creative term ahead in Visual Arts, with plenty of designing, making and hands-on activities. To start, students will create a thoughtful take home gift to celebrate the important women in their lives. We’ll then shift our focus to the whole school theme of Modelling and Construction. Students will build their clay hand building skills, learning new techniques and exploring the possibilities and limitations of clay as they create their own models. Year 5 students will sculpt a clay face that explores the impact of human activity on the environment. Later in the term, we’ll experiment with different construction materials and students will design and build a sculpture using an armature. Throughout the process, they will reflect on and share their work with peers through self-assessment.

Year 6

This term in Visual Arts, students will be busy designing, creating and making. We’ll start by celebrating the special women in our lives with a handmade gift to take home. Next, we’ll focus on our whole school theme of Modelling and Construction. Students will learn and practise clay hand building techniques, exploring the possibilities and challenges of working with clay as they create their own pieces. Year 6 students will take inspiration from artist Reko Rennie to design and sculpt a clay artwork that connects with their classroom learning. Later in the term, we’ll explore construction materials as students design and build props for the Year 6 performance. Throughout the term, students will share their work and reflect on their creative process through self-assessment and peer discussions.

Special Events

The Ellen Jose Student Reconciliation Awards 2025- Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by 9th May. Ellen Jose exhibition of the 20 finalists will be on display at the Bayside City Council Corporate Centre, 76 Royal Avenue, Sandringham, from 23rd May to 25th July 2025.

Japanese

We have many exciting events happening this term in Japanese.

During Week 3, we will celebrate Kodomo no hi (Children’s Day). This day was traditionally for boys and it has many activities to celebrate the boys in the family. During Japanese class, the boys will have their photo taken in traditional Japanese costume.

Week 4, on Tuesday 13th May, our school will celebrate Japanese Day. This is a special highlight of the school calendar each year and the students will spend the day immersing themselves in Japanese culture and activities whilst further expanding their Japanese language skills. This is a whole school event, involving students from Prep through to Year 6. A range of activities will be taking place across the school, including Japanese calligraphy (Shodo), a Japanese puppet show performance, Japanese sports (Undokai) and Japanese item wrapping workshops (Furoshiki).

What will be happening this term in Japanese

Prep

The Prep students will continue to learn Japanese songs including colours and shape names in Japanese. The highlight of the term will be performing the ‘Ohayou’ song in front of the whole school for Japanese Day. The students will continue to practise reading each other’s names and asking each other how they’re feeling in Japanese. They will enjoy celebrating Kodomo no hi (on May the 5th) and learn about Hanami (cherry blossom festival) as well as enjoying Japanese Day on May the 13th. The students will begin to read simple hiragana mini books and write hiragana characters.

Year 1

This term, the Year 1 students will learn how to say what the weather is, the day, month and date, and ask how each other are feeling in Japanese. They will enjoy celebrating Kodomo no hi (on May the 5th) and learn about Hanami (cherry blossom festival) as well as participate in Japanese Day on May the 13th. The students will begin to read simple hiragana mini books and write hiragana characters

Year 2

This term, the Year 2 students will continue to communicate with each other in Japanese and start to read simple Japanese books called, Bonnie, Benji and Boris. They will learn high frequency verbs, nouns, adjectives and conjunctions to help with their comprehension of the books. Students will have jobs in the classroom and participate in cultural activities such as Hasami (Cherry blossom viewing) and Kodomo no hi (Children’s Day) on May the 5th. All boys will have their photo taken in traditional costume to celebrate Kodomo no hi. Everyone will enjoy the whole School Japanese on May the 13th.

Year 3

This term, the Year 3 students will continue to communicate with each other in Japanese and start to read a Japanese book called Burgerman. They will learn high frequency verbs, nouns, adjectives and conjunctions to help with their comprehension of the book. Students will have jobs in the classroom and participate in cultural activities such as Hasami (Cherry blossom viewing), Kodomo no hi (Children’s Day) on May the 5th. All boys will have their photo taken in traditional costume to celebrate Kodomo no hi. Everyone will enjoy the whole School Japanese on May the 13th.

Year 4

This term, the Year 4 students will continue to communicate with each other in Japanese and start to read a Japanese book called O-soto raria. They will learn high frequency verbs, nouns, adjectives and conjunctions to help with their comprehension of the book. Students will have jobs in the classroom and participate in cultural activities such as Hasami (Cherry blossom viewing), Kodomo no hi (Children’s Day) on May the 5th. All boys will have their photo taken in traditional costume to celebrate Kodomo no hi. Everyone will enjoy the whole School Japanese on May the 13th.

Year 5

This term, the Year 5 students will continue to practice their hiragana/ katakana reading by doing weekly ikana tests on the iPads. Students will enjoy communicating and working on building the time only spoken in Japanese each week. This term, the Year 5 students will revise and continue to read hiragana mini books from series 1-5 independently and with a partner. Students will have jobs in the classroom and participate in cultural activities such as Hasami (Cherry blossom viewing), Kodomo no hi (Children’s Day) on May the 5th. All boys will have their photo taken in traditional costume to celebrate Kodomo no hi. Everyone will enjoy the whole School Japanese on May the 13th.

Year 6

The Year 6 students will continue to work through their belts and create stories to read in the classroom. This term, the students will start their orange and green belts incorporating activities such as: writing and saying the days of the week, stating sentences about the weather, asking sensei many different questions in Japanese, reading hiragana mini books, making an origami tsuru and creating a mini book about family using hiragana and kanji script. Students will have jobs in the classroom and participate in cultural activities such as Hasami (Cherry blossom viewing), Kodomo no hi (Children’s Day) on May the 5th. All boys will have their photo taken in traditional costume to celebrate Kodomo no hi. Everyone will enjoy the whole School Japanese on May 13th.

Japanese at home

The students will all learn to read using hiragana mini books from the Japan foundation. They can be accessed here

https://classroomresources.sydney.jpf.go.jp/resources/hiragana-mini-books/

Some students may want to work on their hiragana reading at home. These apps are free and may help some students who would like to practice:

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