Specialist Overview of Learning

Art 

Prep: Students will explore collage inspired by famous children's book illustrators. They will experiment with monoprinting to create colourful, one-of-a-kind prints. Students will use a variety of materials and tools to develop their creative ideas. We will encourage students to share and talk about their artworks with their classmates.

Years 1/2: Students will create monoprints using acetate and explore different printing techniques. They will make assemblage artworks using a range of recycled and found materials. Students will create self-portraits, using colour, shape and line to show their ideas. Throughout the term, students will experiment, create and reflect on their artwork.

Years 3/4: Students will learn foam printing and gel plate printing techniques. They will combine their prints to create analogue collage artworks. Students will explore how different materials and techniques can create interesting effects. They will share and discuss their finished artworks and creative processes.

Years 5/6: Students will develop their printmaking skills through gel plate printing and lino printing. They will create digital collages, combining images in creative ways. Students will plan and develop artworks that communicate their own ideas. They will reflect on and present their finished work, celebrating their creativity and artistic growth.

Lauren Zahra / Evelyn Stavridis

Auslan

Prep

Students will continue to develop their Auslan skills by practising a range of greetings and responding to simple questions, including expressing different emotions. They will learn additional signs related to animals, with a focus on zoo and sea animals, and will be introduced to signs for weather and clothing. Students will also extend their understanding of number signs and continue exploring Deaf Culture through engaging stories, songs and interactive learning experiences.

Antonietta De Melis

Year 1 to 6 

In Term Three, the focus of Auslan lessons is to develop students’ confidence and communication skills while fostering an inclusive environment for both hearing and Deaf community members. Through individual and collaborative learning experiences, students will revise and extend their Auslan knowledge, practise signing and strengthen their understanding of Deaf culture and communication. 

Years 1/2: Students will understand that languages change and differ depending on where people are from. They will discover that Auslan isn’t the same everywhere - different regions use different signs, people borrow from English, and that handedness matters (the tendency to use either the right or the left hand more naturally than the other). 

Years 3/4: Students will learn to translate basic everyday words, phrases and sentences between Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and English. They will notice how some signs look like the things they represent, such as the sign for ‘drink’ looks like drinking from a cup. They will learn that like English, Auslan uses different building blocks to create meaning such as handshapes, location, movements and where they occur.

Years 5/6: Students will use Auslan to communicate with others for different purposes. They will share their ideas, opinions and experiences using expressive signs and language. The students will participate respectfully in class discussions by watching attentively, signing clearly, taking turns and asking questions. They will also be encouraged to use NMF - facial expressions, make eye contact and develop their visual communication skills to support effective conversations with individuals and within groups. 

Evelyn Stavridis

PE (Physical Education)

Prep: Students will focus on object control skills, such as bouncing, throwing, catching and kicking. They will identify what sports these skills are used in and will begin to utilise these skills in minor games with their peers. Students will also continue to learn a variety of tag games which encourage running, dodging, strategy and teamwork.

Years 1/2: Students will focus on the skills of dribbling and passing. They will participate in rotations involving these skills, then eventually use these skills in modified games of basketball. Students will also continue to be involved in minor games such as tag games to encourage their teamwork and improve their understanding of strategy. 

Years 3/4: Students will focus on the skills involved in basketball. They will refine their skills before participating in modified games. Students will continue to have opportunities to play games focused on strategy and teamwork. Finally, interested students are able to try out for the 3/4 Hoop Time Basketball teams where they will compete for the school at Diamond Valley Stadium on September 2nd. 

Years 5/6: Students will refine their skills in basketball. They will then focus on the rules and have opportunities to referee/umpire. During Book Week, we will run our Annual Muggle Quidditch tournament for the third time. Students will be encouraged to enter a team to compete in the Harry Potter inspired game. Finally, we will have a variety of sport competitions including, Hoop Time, weekly interschool sport and Division Athletics.

Amber Vincent / Evelyn Stavridis

Performing Arts

Prep: This term, students will be introduced to a variety of musical instruments. They will learn to identify different instruments, explore the unique sounds they produce and begin to understand how instruments are grouped into families, such as strings, percussion, and wind. Students will also be rehearsing their year-level dance for our School Production at the end of the term!

Years 1/2: Students will explore the magical world of fairy tales through drama. They will develop their acting skills by experimenting with different character roles, using voice, facial expressions and movement to bring characters to life. Through both scripted and improvised drama activities, students will build confidence, creativity and expressive performance skills while exploring characterization and storytelling. Classes will also be busy rehearsing their year-level dance for our School Production at the end of the term.

Years 3/4: During Term Three, students will become podcast creators! They will explore the exciting world of podcasts by learning how voices, sound effects and storytelling can be used to entertain and inform an audience. Working in small groups, students will develop their speaking, listening, drama and media arts skills as they plan, rehearse and record their own original podcasts. They will also be busy rehearsing their year-level dance for our School Production at the end of the term.

Years 5/6: This term, students will focus on our whole-school production, Battle of the Beats! Alongside learning and rehearsing their year-level dance routines, they will explore how drama and media arts are used to promote live theatre. Working in small groups, students will take on the role of a marketing team to create an authentic promotional campaign for the production, such as a trailer, television commercial, cast interview or behind-the-scenes feature. Throughout the unit, they will develop their performance, collaboration and media production skills while considering how to engage and persuade an audience. 

Bec Zappia / Alessia Cesario

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)

This term in STEM, Preps will be focusing on physical sciences – the study of how non-living things move, and Years 1 to 6 will be focusing on digital technologies. All students will participate in ‘hands-on’ investigations to build their inquiry and problem-solving skills.

Prep: How do things move? Students will develop an understanding of how things move. They will explore the different ways they can make objects, including themselves, move. Students will investigate how the size, shape and material of an object can affect the way it moves. They will respond to questions, use their senses to make observations and discuss their findings. Students will be introduced to digital robotics to solve simple problems.

Year 1: How can I solve simple problems using a Tale-Bot Pro robot? Students will explore the features of the Tale-Bot Pro robot through 'hands-on' experimentation. They will work through a variety of activities that require them to design solutions to solve simple problems using a sequence of steps and decisions. Students will develop problem-solving and cooperative learning skills.

Year 2: How can I solve complex problems using a Tale-Bot Pro robot? Students will extend their understanding of the Tale-Bot Pro robot features to solve a variety of problems using algorithms. They will plan out programs, and consider how sequencing and loops can be used to simplify solutions. Students will develop verbal and written communication skills to convey their understanding and proposed solutions.

Year 3: How can I solve simple problems using a VinciBot robot? Students will explore the features of the VinciBot robot through 'hands-on' experimentation. They will work through a variety of challenges, requiring them to define simple problems, and design and develop digital solutions using algorithms that involve decision-making and user input. Students will develop their computational thinking and cooperative learning skills.

Year 4: How can I solve complex problems using a VinciBot robot? Students will extend their understanding of the VinciBot robot features to solve a variety of problems using algorithms. They will consider how sequencing and conditions can be used to integrate multiple solutions in a single program. Students will use technical vocabulary to communicate their understanding of a variety of problems and their proposed solutions, both verbally and written.

Year 5: How can I solve problems using a micro:bit? Students will explore the features of the micro:bit through 'hands-on' experimentation. They will work through a variety of challenges, requiring them to define problems in terms of data and functional requirements and design solutions by developing algorithms to address the problems. Students will incorporate decision-making, repetition and user interface design into their designs and digital solutions. They will develop their computational thinking and cooperative learning skills.

Year 6: How can I use peripheral devices to create solutions using a micro:bit? Students will extend their understanding of the micro:bit features to solve a variety of problems using integrated algorithms. They will attach peripheral devices to the micro:bit and learn how to write programs to operate these devices. Students will use their knowledge to plan, build and code their own robot. They will develop their verbal and written communication skills and technical vocabulary to present their robot plan and finished product to their peers.

Sandy Brewerton

Bands

Hello to the RGLPS Music Community,

What an outstanding start to Semester Two! I am still reflecting with enormous pride on the success of our Mid-Year Concert. The evening was a wonderful celebration of our students' dedication, musicianship and enthusiasm. It was particularly heartwarming to see so many parents singing and dancing along to our finale, "Shake a Tail Feather", creating a memorable atmosphere that perfectly captured the spirit of our music program. The feedback from families and members of our school community has been overwhelmingly positive. Time and again, people have commented on the confidence, musicality and professionalism displayed by our students. They should all be incredibly proud of what they achieved. 

A special congratulations goes to our Junior Band, who gave a confident and highly successful debut performance. It was also a privilege to witness our Superband and Senior Choir combine with the talented secondary students from Montmorency SC to create a spectacular ensemble of around 150 musicians. The energy, sound and excitement generated by such a large group was truly inspiring and a fitting finale to a fantastic evening.

Senior Band

The Senior Band has returned this semester with enthusiasm, commitment and an excellent work ethic. It has been a pleasure to see so many students arriving early each Tuesday morning, ready to rehearse with focus and purpose. Our rehearsals continue to develop the essential skills of successful ensemble performance, including confident music reading, careful listening, expressive dynamics, musical phrasing, tonal balance and blend. Students are continually challenged to refine their musicianship while developing greater independence as performers. The band has now commenced preparations for our End-of-Year Concert. The repertoire has been carefully selected to both challenge and inspire the students, and I am confident it will result in an exciting and rewarding performance that showcases the remarkable progress they continue to make.

Intermediate Band

The Intermediate Band has made an exceptional start to the semester and continues to grow in confidence with every rehearsal. Each Wednesday morning the students demonstrate a genuine willingness to learn, listening carefully to one another and developing a rich, balanced ensemble sound. Their teamwork, commitment and positive attitude have been outstanding, and it is exciting to watch their musical maturity continue to flourish. As the repertoire becomes more demanding, the students are rising to every challenge and are well on their way to producing another impressive performance later this year.

Junior Band

The Junior Band continues to impress with its enthusiasm, determination and eagerness to learn. Beginning musicians often face many new challenges, yet this group has embraced every rehearsal with remarkable focus and persistence. Their willingness to listen, concentrate and improve each week has been outstanding, and they are already developing the habits that lead to successful ensemble performance. With your continued support in encouraging regular practice at home and opportunities to perform for family and friends, these young musicians will continue to grow in confidence and ability. The future of our band program is certainly in very capable hands.

Thank you to all our families for your ongoing encouragement and support. The success of our band program is built upon the partnership between students, parents and staff, and your commitment makes an enormous difference to every young musician's journey.

I look forward to another exciting semester of music-making and to sharing our continued progress with you at the End-of-Year Concert.

Please refer to the schedule below for this year’s rehearsal days.

Michael Rochford

Band Co-ordinator and Music Teacher