Specialist Update

Performing Arts: MUSIC

This term, Year 3 students are revisiting beat and rhythm as they develop their skills as young musicians. Through body percussion and a variety of percussion instruments, they  are exploring how to create and perform simple rhythmic patterns.

As part of our Rhythm Band project, students are working collaboratively in small groups to compose and perform their own rhythmic pieces. They are learning to record four-beat patterns using simple notation, maintain a steady beat, listen carefully to one another and play in time. They are also exploring how different instruments produce unique sounds and how changes in volume can engage an audience.

Through these hands-on activities, students are strengthening their musical skills, creativity, listening and teamwork while discovering what it takes to perform together as a musical ensemble.

This term, Year 5 students are exploring how songwriters and composers use musical elements to communicate ideas, moods and feelings through music. They are learning to recognise the structure of a song, including the difference between a verse and a chorus, and investigating how beat, rhythm, pitch, tempo and dynamics influence the way music sounds and feels.

As part of our songwriting activities, students are working collaboratively in small groups to develop their own musical ideas around themes such as friendship, belonging, courage and the environment. They are experimenting with writing lyrics, creating rhythmic patterns and exploring simple melodies using percussion instruments, body percussion and their voices.

Through planning, rehearsing and sharing their compositions, students are developing their creativity, musical understanding and confidence while learning to listen respectfully, contribute ideas and provide constructive feedback. They are discovering how thoughtful musical choices can help communicate a message and bring an original song to life.

Visual Arts 

Year 4 students have had so much fun exploring gelli printing this term! 🎨 Using a gel printing plate, a new technique for many of our students, they have been rolling out paint and experimenting with materials such as yarn, leaves and bottle tops to create exciting patterns, textures and layered designs. By pressing paper onto the plate, students reveal their own one-of-a-kind monoprints, each with unique colours and details. These prints will become the foundation for landscape collages inspired by Australian artist Charlotte Wensley, exploring how colour, shape and texture can bring a landscape to life!

Sport 

We kicked off the term with a Division Basketball Tournament for our Year 5/6 students. Our teams competed exceptionally well, finishing third in their division. Congratulations to all students involved for their effort, teamwork and sportsmanship!

Throughout the start of term 4, all students have also been learning about the importance of positive behaviour and conflict resolution through our soccer program that was implemented in 2023. We have been working hard to minimise disagreements and conflict on the soccer field during lunch and recess, helping to create a safer and more enjoyable environment for everyone.

We are pleased to see this hard work reflected in our school data. Compared to last year, soccer-related issues have decreased by 15%. This is a positive step forward, and we will continue to encourage students to demonstrate respect, fairness and sportsmanship when playing together.

Italian

Italian Day – Una grande festa Italiana!

Term 3 ended with una grande festa italiana! Students arrived dressed in the colours of the Italian flag or as pizzas, favourite Italian characters and soccer players. Throughout the day, they immersed themselves in activities including building Roman aqueducts, creating Venetian masks, making a coccodrillo puppet and learning the song “Il coccodrillo come fa?”, dancing the tarantella, playing bocce and racing in our very own Giro d’Italia!

It was wonderful to bring Italian culture, language and food together in a fun-filled celebration, bringing students’ language learning to life. Che bella giornata! – What a wonderful day!

Innovation Technology

Year 2 students are exploring the exciting connection between music, storytelling and digital technology as they bring the story of The Nutcracker to life through stop-motion animation. Students are learning how to plan and sequence a story, capture individual photographs and use a stop-motion app to create the illusion of movement.

Throughout the process, students are developing their filmmaking skills by learning how to set up and use tripods to keep their cameras steady, carefully move characters in small steps between photographs, and experiment with a light box to create effective lighting and backgrounds for their scenes. They are discovering how patience, teamwork and attention to detail help bring their stories to life.

Once their animations are complete, students will use GarageBand to compose their own original music to accompany their stories. They will explore different instruments, sounds, rhythms and musical ideas to create mood and atmosphere, considering how music can enhance the action and help communicate emotions to an audience. This project combines creativity, music and digital technology, allowing students to become storytellers, animators and composers.

OLP

In OLP, our Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students have continued to build their skills in the Italian language through a variety of fun and engaging activities.

Students have been practising new greetings; such as “May I have a glass of water”, “How old are you?” and "good evening” and some other everyday Italian expressions, building their confidence in using simple words and phrases in the classroom. The Prep students are enjoying the Supermarket roleplay rotation- experiencing what it is like to work at a supermarket , exploring their creativity with building blocks and playing playdoh and making faces with different emotions on them, which helps them remember and learn how to say different emotions in Italian such as: “sono felice” (I am happy).

The Year 1 students have been enjoying their role-play of “Italian Post Office” where they explore the different roles of working in a Post Office, whilst also using simple phrases as they communicate with each other such as: “ciao, buongiorno”.

Our Year 2 students have been exploring Italian and drama through a “Souvenir shops” roleplay where they use Italian language to pretend to buy souvenirs. They have also enjoyed playing a board game using Italian language doing Italian themed arts and craft activities.