Junior School

Prep Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) and Gymnastics Incursion 

Article by Aleisha Dakin, Health and Physical Education Leader Prep - 4

The last two weeks, our Prep students were excited to participate in a special gymnastics program within the Perceptual Motor Program (PMP), delivered by the Essendon Keilor Gymnastics Academy. Students took part in a range of fun and engaging activities that further enhanced their motor skill development. The sessions focussed on areas such as balance, motor planning, bilateral coordination, visual tracking and body control, while complementing and extending the aims of our PMP program in an enjoyable and active environment. 

Prep students thoroughly enjoy participating in the weekly PMP sessions, a valuable part of their learning that supports the development of sensory, fine motor and gross motor skills. Through engaging and structured activities, students strengthen important skills including coordination, concentration, confidence, problem solving and social interaction, all of which provide strong foundations for future learning. The program also reinforces many of the movement concepts explored during Physical Education classes. 

The Prep PMP and PE programs encourage both physical and cognitive development. Activities that involve movement, balance and crossing the midline support students in developing body awareness, working memory, attention, coordination and fine motor control. These important skills help lay the foundations for success in areas such as reading, writing and classroom learning. 

Prep CCL Incursion  

Article by Bianca Rae, Prep Leader 

This Term in CCL, students have been learning about the central idea of ‘Families are Different’. They have investigated their own family structures and traditions, while also comparing them with those of families from a variety of cultural backgrounds. 

A highlight of the term was a special incursion featuring a guest speaker from Melbourne University who specialises in Indigenous studies. Our Prep students had the wonderful opportunity to learn about Indigenous family structures, as well as the cultural celebrations, commemorations, and traditions that are significant within these communities. 

Throughout the unit, students engaged in a range of meaningful activities to deepen their understanding. These included listening to stories and videos shared by Indigenous Elders, creating their own family trees, identifying the members of their families, and learning about important Indigenous traditions and celebrations. They also demonstrated their learning in a fun and interactive way through a game of charades. 

Students discovered that Indigenous family structures often include a broad support network of community members referred to as aunties, uncles, brothers and sisters which can differ from their own family experiences. Overall, the students thoroughly enjoyed the incursion and embraced all the learning opportunities with enthusiasm.