Around the Primary Specialist Classes

Primary Music - Dorothy Lincoln

There has been a variety of music making in the Primary school this Term: learning songs, playing instruments, composing using online tools and exploring Japanese music through dance and song. There are five Primary music groups underway: Year 6 Pop Group, Primary Choir, Fiddlesticks and  2/ 3 Choir. 

It was the Japanese Children’s Day early this term. Classes sang Japanese songs and played clapping games. Year 3 went a step further, learning a dance to the tune, Sakura, the famous song about the Cherry Blossoms. Next they will be learning to play the melody on the xylophones.

In our Early Years classes, the Kinder students have been playing the chime bars learning the musical notes, our Prep students are notating sounds in words and the Year One class has been exploring rhythms and used the hand drums to create their own rhythm patterns.

Fiddlesticks is the Primary string group that meets on Wednesdays after school. The students have learned to play ‘Chicken on a Fencepost’ and are now working on ‘Sword Dance’. 

In addition to class music, students have the opportunity to join one of the following groups: 

Primary Japanese – Susie Allen

Represented by the only mythical and most powerful creature in the 12 animal Japanese zodiac, the Year of the Dragon is considered special. In Japan, the dragon is a legendary magic beast seen as a symbol of authority, honour and dignity. The dragon also plays a role in both Shintoism and Buddhism, the main religions of Japan.

During Term 1, students were invited to participate in the JATNET (Japanese Teachers’ Network Tasmania) Tasmanian Japanese Poster Competition. During lessons of Japanese, the meaning of the dragon to the people of Japan was taught and the students used this understanding as well as prior knowledge about Japan to complete their poster. 

Feedback from the judges included:

• we loved seeing posters where the dragon was the main focus of the work. 
• textas and other vivid media makes a stronger impression than soft pencil colouring.

Congratulations to all participates and special recognition goes to the following prize winners in the Prep to Year 2 category:

First prize: Georgia Gandy 

Second prize: Charlotte Melody 

To start Term 2, students learnt there is Children’s Day in Japan as well as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. It is a national holiday celebrated annually on May 5. In Japan, it is a way of wishing good health and success to all children. As part of the role of being a sister city with Yaizu City in Shizuoka, Japan, the City of Hobart invited families to experience a variety of traditional cultural activities in Hobart. Many students enjoyed making craft, listening taiko drumming, eating Japanese sweets and watching cultural performances. With the craft, volunteer students in Year 8-10 were assisting younger children.

Later this term, all students at the College will be invited to participate in a variety of activities to celebrate Languages Week starting Monday June 24. 

Primary Dance - Jess Trost

Our Primary students have had a busy start to their dance year. They have been learning technique and strength training as a base to start building their own choreography. They have all learned a routine, which they have also contributed their own choreography to.

We performed the routine as a school community last week, with students enjoying both learning and devising their own choreography and polishing a routine to present to their peers. The school community performance was an enriching experience for the girls as they learned that dance can be used to bring people together for fun and a common interest and passion.

At Mount Carmel, we love to build school community and help the girls to feel that they are part of something bigger than, themselves, their year group and their school. Well done to the girls for their commitment and enthusiasm in class and we are all so excited to share with you our next project for Arts Evening next term.

Happy Dancing!

Primary HPE - Olivia French

This term in Physical Education our ELC, Kinder and Prep students are looking at static and dynamic balance. Balance is a key fundamental skill as it is an essential part of everything we do, and it affects the development of locomotor and object control. Students have been completing an obstacle course which incorporates balancing on different objects as well as holding different animal poses on one leg. 

Year 1 students are focusing on throwing and catching different objects. Throwing and catching skills are an important component of many games and activities played by students in the lower primary school. It is important that students in the Early Years be given many opportunities to develop these skills to prepare them for the games and sports they may play in the middle and upper primary years of school.

Year 2 students are revisiting their fundamental movement skills which they learnt last year. Fundamental movement skills are the building blocks to more specialised and complex skills that are used in play, sport and outdoor recreation. Students in Year 2 have been completing small group activities focusing on running, skipping, jumping, hopping and balance. 

Students in Years 3, 4 and 5 have been focusing on throwing and catching moving into Netball, Soccer skills and tactics and target games.

Our year 6 students are playing territorial/invasion games with a focus on developing offensive and defensive strategies through participating in modified and traditional games. Students have participated in games such as territories, flags, mat ball and netball and are asked a series of questions to reflect upon and develop their strategies throughout the game. Questions include how they might use space to help them score, 

what type of pass is the most effective, and how they might stop the opposing team from scoring. These game tactics will help students next term when we look at touch football.

Students also participated in Field Day with students in Years 3-6 who placed in the Top 8 for their year level being selected to represent Mount Carmel at the JSSATIS, STCPSSA and All Schools Cross Country. The Cross Country team meets on Wednesdays at 12.40pm and heads over to Lower Queenborough Oval to train.