Visual Arts

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break!

The Artroom is seeking some donations for the upcoming semester. Do you have any of these things lying around?

-wool (any colour, but specifically would love yellows, greens and browns/natural colours)

-bubble wrap /brown paper wrap

-wrapping paper

-small gift bags

Please leave any donations at the office or send them with your child to pass onto me.

Thankyou!

Term 3 Big Idea - POWER

This term in Visual Arts, all year levels will be exploring sustainability as part of their CBL focus on Power. Students will discover that they have the power to make sustainable choices in many aspects of their lives, including the way they create art.

Throughout the term, students will use recycled materials, repurpose unwanted items, and reimagine what art can be with a little creativity and a well-stocked recycling bin! They'll be challenged to think differently about everyday objects, transforming them into unique and meaningful works of art while learning about the importance of reducing waste and caring for our environment.

This week in the art room...

Prep students will be drawing a picture of a creature for their Grade 6 buddy to construct out of recycled materials. They will focus on interesting shapes and designs for the body, legs, arms, head, hair and features.

Grade 1 – 4 students will be designing and creating a sock puppet. This puppet will come alive in their Performing Arts classes in the coming weeks!

Grade 5 students will be glazing their clay bobble head creature adding personality and design elements to the head and body.

Grade 6 students will begin to create a hand-held puppet using recycled materials. This puppet will come alive in their Performing Arts classes in the coming weeks!

Auslan

Welcome to a new semester of Auslan! This term, the classes who have been enjoying STEM lessons throughout Terms 1 and 2 are swapping specialist subjects and beginning their Auslan program. We are excited to introduce students to a new way of communicating as they learn Auslan through games, stories, songs and interactive activities. This week they will be getting to know their new teacher, participating in some getting to know you activities and discussing our expectations for the Auslan classroom.

Grade 5 and 6

This week, our Grade 5 and 6 students refreshed their knowledge of familiar Auslan signs and practised their fingerspelling skills. They also learned classroom vocabulary and routines to support increasingly immersive Auslan lessons, where students will communicate using signs, facial expressions and visual cues, with minimal spoken English.

Grade 3 and 4

This week, our Grade 3 and 4 students began their Auslan learning by exploring familiar greetings, practising fingerspelling and learning signs used in the classroom. Students were introduced to the importance of eye contact, facial expressions and visual communication as they begin developing the skills needed to communicate confidently in Auslan. Throughout the semester, students will gradually build towards increasingly immersive lessons, using signs and visual communication with less spoken English.

Grade 1 and 2

This week, our Grade 1 students will begin learning the Auslan alphabet, focusing on recognising and producing fingerspelled letters. Our grade 2 students will practice their fingerspelling to build confidence, fluency and automaticity. Through a range of fun, hands-on activities, including games such as Alphabet Bingo, students will practice identifying letters and developing the foundational skills needed for fingerspelling.

STEM

This week, students are learning the procedures and expectations of the STEM room, including how to use materials safely, work collaboratively, and share ideas respectfully. During the first half of Term 1, STEM sessions will focus on Biology, encouraging students to explore the living world through hands-on investigations, problem solving, and curiosity-driven learning.

Grade 1 and 2

This week, students will begin exploring animal classifications. Using models, pictures, and hands-on materials, they will describe the observable features of animals and compare different animal coverings, including fur, feathers, and scales. Students are also learning how to work together, take turns, and care for shared resources in the STEM room.

Grade 3 and 4

As part of our Biology focus, students will explore food chains, with a specific focus on consumers — living things that eat other organisms and do not make their own food. They will identify different types of consumers, including predators and scavengers, and classify animals as carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores. Students will choose their own animals to investigate and create a simple food chain, physically linking producers and consumers to form a paper chain.

Grade 5 and 6

This week, students will explore how changes to an environment can impact the growth and survival of animals. Through a STEM design challenge, students will design a town that supports both human needs and animal habitats, encouraging them to think critically about urbanisation and sustainability. We will build upon this task throughout the term as we learn more about how current human activity impacts wildlife.

Performing Arts

Prep

Students will be introduced to drama through imaginative play and storytelling. They explore how to use their bodies, facial expressions and movement to create characters and tell simple stories.

Grades 1–6

Students are beginning a puppetry unit. Through a range of drama games and practical activities, they learn the fundamental principles of puppetry, including focus, movement and bringing objects to life. To inspire their learning, Grades 5–6 explore excerpts from theatrical productions of War Horse, while Grades 1–4 discover the puppetry featured in The Lion King musical.

Physical Education

We've had a fantastic start to Term 3 in Physical Education. Over the coming weeks, all students will be exploring the wide variety of athletics events as they prepare for our upcoming Grade 3–6 Athletics Day. Students will have the opportunity to develop their skills in events such as running, jumping and throwing, while focusing on participation, personal improvement and good sportsmanship.

A huge congratulations to Victoria (Grade 6), who has qualified for the Victorian State Cross Country Championships. Victoria will compete against the state's best cross-country runners this Thursday, which is an outstanding achievement. We wish her the very best of luck and congratulate her on all the hard work and dedication that has led to this success.

Our Prep–Grade 2 students will also begin their exciting five-week gymnastics program this term. This is always a highlight of the year, providing students with the opportunity to develop their balance, coordination, strength and confidence in a fun and supportive environment. We know they will thoroughly enjoy the program.

Wellbeing Hub