Year Level & Specialist Curriculum

Term 1 will be a short term but we have lots of PE and sport to cover and hopefully the weather stays like this for us to enjoy. In all year levels we will begin with setting expectations, setting our goals for the year ahead and getting to know each other better.

Prep: We will be focusing on establishing rules and routine for the first part of our term in prep with various games. As we progress through the term we will focus on our locomotor skills - such as jumping, skipping, leaping and running. We will conclude the term with focusing on some fundamental skills, particularly underarm throwing.

Year 1 / 2: Students will begin the year participating in co-operative games. The aim of these games is to reduce emphasis on competition and increase emphasis on the social aspects of play and be a team player. These will also incorporate practising the fundamental movement skills they have learnt over their first year or two at school and further develop these. Later in the term, specific focus will be on reviewing our throwing and catching skills in various rotations and circuits.

Year 3: Students will participate in modified versions of sports they will get to engage in next year at our various interschool sport days. The focus this term will be on net/wall sports. These are games in which players compete to outscore their opponent. This term we aim to learn Newcombe ball, nitro ball and tennis.

Year 4: Students will experience their first Gala Day in week 9 (Tuesday 26th) which involves students participating in either rounders, hot shots tennis or newcombe ball against other schools. To prepare for this, over the coming weeks we will introduce or review each of these sports and practise these skills by participating in various drills and modified games. The students will also have the opportunity to practise co-operating and supporting each other.

Year 5 / 6: Students will not have a Gala Day in term 1, instead they will have a Summer and Winter Gala Day in term 2. We will use the term to review sports we have played in previous years - volleystars (volleyball), teeball or hot shots tennis. We will have a specialised coach come and do some tennis with us. The students will practise co-operating and supporting each other and being a team player throughout the term. The focus during this time will be on enjoying being active, whether they win or lose and encourage good sportsmanship.

Visual Arts

Welcome to Visual Arts for 2024! This year is an exciting time with our Art Show later on in the year. The students will be creating a variety of their own art pieces, as they learn about different art elements, techniques, artists and cultures.

Year Six Students will be starting the year with a team ‘building’ task, exploring texture, pattern, colour and repetition to express their own ideas. They will explore the techniques an Australian contemporary artist uses to create their art murals and pieces, and compare their pieces to different art forms and artists. Students will take a look at architecture around the world to create 3D artwork that demonstrates a variety of art elements and principles.

Year Five Students will begin Term 1 with learning about different drawing techniques, creating illusions from different perspectives. They will explore a variety of art elements and analyse the techniques used by contemporary artists and to inspire their own art pieces. The students will learn about impressionism, explore the work of impressionist artists, create their own inspired pieces and explain the influences of these artists on their own art making.

Year Four Students will be starting Term 1 with a focus on line, colour. texture and shape. They will use these art elements and different visual techniques to create a piece of art that incorporates water colours and the zentangle method. The students will explore the work of a contemporary female artist, who uses her art to express her feelings and emotions. They will analyse techniques she uses to enhance meaning to her audience and take inspiration to create their own artwork. The students will explore the architecture of different cities across the world to inspire their own 3D cityscape.

Year Three Students will begin Term 1 by exploring naturally occuring Geodes and the art elements the beautiful rocks enclose. The students will use lines, colours and repetition to create their own Geode art piece. They will explore different landscapes around the world, with a focus on the South American mountain ranges of Peru. Adding layers to the artwork to create depth and texture. The students will finish the term, discussing the differences and exploring various styles of self portraits from different artists, cultures, and times in history. They will then choose their favourite style to inspire their own.

Auslan

"Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom."

- Roger Bacon

Welcome to Auslan in 2024 and to a fabulous year ahead! In exciting news, St James has been successful in our application for the Literacy Language Grant. These funds will contribute towards purchasing additional Auslan resources and Deaf-created texts for the children at SJV. Students across all levels will access this Deaf-created bi-lingual literature in Auslan sessions this year and will ultimately meet and interact with the Deaf author at an incursion later this year.

Preps will commence their Auslan journey with an introduction to the Deaf Community, Auslan greetings, animal signs, and eventually finger-spelling the alphabet. Throughout their first year, they will focus on signs associated with ‘self’ and learn to express simple preferences in sign language. Students will routinely participate in guided group activities and interactions, including signing games using repeated language structures and games.

Year 1 and 2 will begin the year by consolidating their Auslan vocabulary in the areas of greetings, colours, letters, numbers and animals. Students will request and receive information from peers manually, without their voices. As the term unfolds, new vocabulary themes will be explored, including ‘classroom’ signs and they will build their signed communication skills. All vocabulary areas will be inspired by Deaf-author Kerrie Taylor’s children’s books.

Wherever possible, we will continue to aim for shared vocabulary themes across levels to encourage signed communication between siblings at home.

Year 3 - 6 will initially focus on refining greetings, questioning and conversational signs. Students will build their productive and receptive Auslan skills by seeking and recording information without voice. New vocabulary will be explored from Kerrie Taylor’s text ‘My First Day’, as well as signs relevant to our students' daily school life.

All students will continue to learn new vocabulary and gain cultural understanding through live interaction and recorded activities. St James students will exhibit their learning through signing production, body language, facial expression and by demonstrating their receptive skills. Individual booklets with pictorial activities will also be provided during Auslan sessions to support the consolidation of vocabulary.

Performing Arts

Welcome to Performing Arts in 2024! The Prep, Year 1, and Year 2 students begin the year with an integrated unit focusing on Music and Drama. The first few weeks will see students participating in engaging activities such as singing songs and playing games to foster positive relationships while establishing routines and expectations in the Performing Arts Classroom.

Prep - Throughout the term, Prep students will sing songs, use body percussion, play instruments and move to music to develop a sense of steady beat. They will also have opportunities for exploring sound, developing their singing voice, and understanding the difference between speaking voices and singing voices. Drama activities will involve playing games that allow students to explore different ways to use voice, movement and facial expression to improvise characters and communicate stories.

Year 1 - Year 1 students will further develop musical skills in rhythm and melody. Through singing games, movement exercises, and instrument play, they will gain an understanding of high and low sounds, pitch and graphic notation. The Year 1 drama unit, centred around emotions, will aid students in expressing their feelings through tableaux (freeze frames) and drama games.

Year 2 - Year 2 Performing Arts lessons build upon students' knowledge of beat and rhythms in music. Students will have the opportunity to learn about pitch and the accompanying hand signs through games, singing songs and playing instruments. In drama, students will take on character roles, vary voice volume, pace and pitch and use body language and facial expressions.

STEM

Welcome back to 2024!

I am looking forward to seeing all of the students back in the lab ready to explore, design, develop, build, wonder and enjoy the ever evolving world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics).

Prep- Students, this term, will be looking at using the iPads to take photos and manipulate the photos. They will then move on to logging on to computers and being able to use the keyboard and mouse.

Year 1- Students will be working through modules in Cyber Safety. They will be looking at passwords, being internet safe, knowing what websites are suitable for them, balancing screen time with real time, and information protection.

Year 2 - Students will be looking at what is a safe password and choosing one for themselves and looking at some Cyber Safety sites and apps to help them develop their online safety, knowing about sharing pictures online, and real friends vs online friends.

Year 3 - Students will be working through Think U Know videos and

Programs where they will look at being a good cyber citizen, positive online language and knowing when it's too much screen time. They will also be developing their typing skills as well as Google Apps skills and knowledge.

Year 4 - Students will be working through the Google Cyber Safety Programs Game On and Interland. They will work through each module and discuss and solve problems in various areas like digital footprint, being a good cyber citizen, phishing etc.

Year 5- Students will be working through the eSafety website. They will focus on one area on the website and then use skills in iMovie Trailer to develop their trailer on that cyber safety area. They will also be using the app The Lost Summer where they will be looking at issues that arise when working and playing online. They will be developing their online awareness and digital footprint.

Year 6 - Students will be combining two different skill sets this term. They will be reflecting on their Cyber Safety awareness and knowledge firstly. Secondly they will be looking at a Stop Motion app and will develop skills to use this. They will then combine these skills to make a Stop Motion recording with a Cyber Safety message for a target audience.