Specialists Updates and Celebrations

Music - Prep

We are off to a great start in the Prep Music Program. Our first two lessons covered, “Learning to Learn” in the music room. Students learnt about the routines, procedures and expectations for the music room, which are consistent with their generalist classroom and the other specialist programs. It is important to establish these early on to set us up for a successful year ahead.

Most of our music curriculum has been about the “beat”. Students have been learning to identify the beat in music as well as keep a steady beat while singing and playing instruments. An emphasis has been placed on singing short fun songs and chants to build engagement.

Performing Arts - Prep

Our Prep students have been having fun while learning the importance of safe dance practices! They explored techniques such as spatial and body awareness, balance, and the importance of warming up and cooling down. To make learning even more exciting, the students moved their bodies like different animals, using their creativity to implement these elements in their dancing. From soft landings to proper stretching, they’ve been practising essential movements for a safe and enjoyable dance experience. We are so proud of their creativity and commitment to dancing safely!

Environmental Education - Years 1 and 2

Years 1 and 2 students have been learning about what the environment is. We discussed examples of living and non-living things in the environment and then created pictures to show our understanding of what the environment is! Please enjoy some of these below.

Students have also learned about the connection to Country that First Nations Australians have. We learnt about the traditional owners of the land that our school is on, the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin nation. We also listened to the story of Bunjil, the Ancestral Wedge-Tailed Eagle, which comes from our local area. 

Visual Art - Years 3 and 4

This week, the Years 3 and 4 students explored the Element of Art: Line. They learned how different types of lines can express various emotions in artworks. We examined a range of pieces and discussed how the lines made us feel. For their own creations, students used rulers to divide their pages into sections, then filled each section with different types of lines using texters. I was so impressed by their creativity and dedication to producing high-quality work. Well done, everyone!

Physical Education - Years 5 and 6

Our Years 5 and 6 students have begun their first week of cricket in P.E. We have been learning to use the short and long barrier techniques when fielding to collect the ball. We have studied the different techniques with some example photographs and then practised these techniques in our class pairs. After, we played a fun fielding game where the children had to collect the ball using one of the techniques before throwing the ball at the stumps. We had lots of fun playing our friendly competition!

Library

Library Lovers’ Day is celebrated internationally each year on February 14th. It is a day to honour libraries, librarians, and library lovers, and the valuable roles that libraries play in our lives. In Week 3, SMPS joined in the celebration of Library Lovers’ Day. Students in Year 5 were invited to complete the sentence “I love my library because...”. The students recorded their thoughts on paper hearts which are proudly displayed in the library.