PE

This term has been massive for Physical Education!

We held our whole school House Athletics Day which consisted of year 3-6 students competing in athletic events to earn ribbons and hopefully a spot on the District Athletics team. We also had our Prep-year 2 students competing in some fun novelty activities to experience a little bit of what athletics is all about!

Also a massive effort from our senior students in Interschool Sport. After competing at the Officer District Lightning Premiership, our Mixed AFL team are District Champions and our Mixed Teeball team are Runners up!

I am super proud of everyone's efforts in PE! Looking forward to a great term 3, well done superstars!

ART

This term in Visual Arts has been a vibrant and successful journey for students across all year levels, as they deepened their understanding of the elements of art. Through hands-on experiences, students explored a wide range of materials, techniques, and art forms, while also learning about artists and cultural practices that inform visual storytelling.

Our Foundation (Prep) students began developing their creative confidence through playful exploration of collage and mixed media. Using oil pastels, watercolours, and paint, they discovered how colour and texture can be combined to express ideas and emotions.

In Years 1 and 2, students examined pattern and line, taking inspiration from the vibrant works of Indigenous artist Bronwyn Bancroft. They translated their designs into imaginative hot air balloons, learning how to construct 3D forms with papier-mâché while developing their understanding of form, shape, and repetition.

Students in Years 3 and 4 brought their self-portraits to life through expressive collage, focusing on shape, proportion, and contrast. They also reflected on the importance of presentation by designing and decorating their own frames. In connection with the school musical, they collaborated to create neon-painted fish and whimsical Dr. Seuss-style faces, linking visual art with performance and narrative.

In Years 5 and 6, students investigated the historical and cultural significance of masks. They explored how masks have evolved across cultures and time, and were introduced to the imaginative world of author and illustrator Shaun Tan. Inspired by his surreal creatures, students sketched original designs and began constructing masks using recycled materials and papier-mâché, demonstrating their understanding of texture, form, and sustainability in artmaking.

Throughout the term, students were encouraged to express their ideas, experiment with materials, and reflect on their own and others' artworks. This developed not only technical skills, but also creative thinking and appreciation for the diverse world of visual arts.

Performing Arts

This term has seen all year levels continue to learn class songs, choreography and performance techniques for our first ever whole school musical, Seussical JR! On Friday the 27th of June, all students and staff from OPPS, made their way to the Tony Sheumack Centre for Performing Arts in Berwick to rehearse and perform in Seussical JR.

Our Prep students played ‘Who Citizens’ from ‘Whoville’ the tiniest planet in the sky. For a lot of our Prep students, this was their first time going backstage in a theatre and performing on the stage. They were absolutely adorable and their singing, dancing and acting packed a mighty punch!

Our Year One/Two students played ‘Jungle Citizens’ from the ‘River Walloo’. They marched and danced to the jungle drum beat, showed incredible acting with their animal physicality and sang beautifully for the school community audience.

Our Year Three/Four students played ‘Sea Creatures’ from ‘Mcelligot's Pool’. In this scene, our audience was transported to a pool of water inhabited by jellyfish and luminous fish. All students designed, created and painted their own luminous fish for this song in their Art specialist class. Singing in two part harmonies, our students sounded absolutely incredible and moved beautifully on the stage.

Our Year Five/Six students played ‘Circus Animals’ from the ‘Circus M’Dircus’. In preparation for this role, our Year Five/Six cohort explored the art of Circus throughout Term 2 in their Performing Arts sessions with Mrs Downie. They explored and practised juggling, clowning, human pyramids and slapstick/physical comedy. From here, they collaborated with their peers to write, rehearse and perform their own circus acts in the show. They did an outstanding job in their scenes ‘Mayzie at the Circus’ & ‘Solla Sellew’.

Our Year Five/Six backstage crew was made up of 11 students who performed different roles on the night under the guidance and support of trained theatre technicians and OPPS staff. We had an assistant stage manager, lighting technicians, digital projection technician, sound technician, properties technicians and floor crew. Our stage manager, after reflecting on the evening, said that the backstage crew kids performed roles that some adults he has worked with have found difficult in the past and that they should be very proud of themselves.

Mrs Downie, Mrs Banfield and all of the staff at OPPS are just so proud of all of our students for their performances onstage and backstage. It was truly a magical evening for our whole community and a night we will never forget.

STEM

This term in Science, our students have been diving into the fascinating world of chemical reactions through a range of fun, hands-on activities. We explored how everyday ingredients can create something new by making slime, mixing up our own play dough, and launching the classic Coke and Mentos experiment! Each activity sparked curiosity and discussion as students observed how different substances interact and change. From stretchy slime to fizzy explosions, it’s been a term full of excitement, discovery, and messy learning as we investigated chemistry in action!

In addition, students also had the opportunity to get creative with cardboard construction projects. They designed and built a variety of exciting creations, including marble runs, maze games, and imaginative inventions—developing their skills in problem-solving, design, and teamwork.

It’s been a term full of experiments, creativity, and hands-on learning—a wonderful way to explore science, technology, and design in action!

Orchard Park News

Going Further Together

Issue 10 · 03 Jul 2025

In this issue