Specialists Wonga Weekly

Performing Arts

Prep

Students are continuing to learn about the routines of performing arts. They will learn a welcome song and be introduced to some of the instruments in the room. Students will begin to learn about 'steady beat' (the heartbeat of a song).

Grade 1 and 2

Students are revising rhythm patterns from last year using taa (crotchet), ti-ti (quavers), zaa (rests) and will be introduced to too-oo (minim). They will play rhythms using body percussion and a variety of instruments. 

Grade 3 and 4

Students will begin a unit of learning on the ukulele. They will learn about the cultural significance of the instrument, identify the different parts of it and practise holding and strumming it.

Grade 5 and 6

Students will be introduced to notes on the treble staff. They will learn to read and name the notes, applying this to playing a simple song on a tuned instrument. 

Visual Arts

*Please note: all artwork created in Terms 1 and 2 by all year levels, will be collected and stored at school until our 'Australiana' Art Show later in Semester 1.

Prep

Students will be beginning to create a mixed media beach artwork in rotating stations. They will experiment with ink and rock salt, paint a blue and white sky background and practise drawing shells and rocks for the foreground.

Grade 1

Students will be looking at ‘Steampunk’ art and creating a textured piece using corrugated card and metal cogs and gear embellishments, ready for crayon rubbing next week. 

Grade 2

Students will be reading the story ‘Backyard Bugs’ by Helen Milroy and practising drawing different types of crawly creatures. They will choose their favourite and use corrugated card to create a textured artwork ready for crayon rubbing next week. 

Grade 3 and 4

Students will be creating a design for their new chair bag in their classroom. They will be thinking about composition as they draw their plan, which will include their name, patterns and other decorations.

Grade 5

Students will begin a textiles unit based on the Australian artist Pete Cromer. They will design a template of a bird to trace onto felt and begin to add details to the front focussing on pattern, colour and composition.

Grade 6

Students will begin their textiles unit based on Australian landscapes. Using wool and a felting tool, they will recreate their favourite Aussie landscape, focussing this week on foreground, middle and background layers.    

AUSLAN

Prep

Prep students will explore how we can use our hands to ‘talk’ with one another. We will read a book title ‘Boy’ by Phil Cummings and discuss how the main character used his hands to share his message.  Students will also learn and practice how to sign good morning or afternoon to their teacher.

Grade 1 and 2

Grade 1 and 2 students will explore how people who are deaf gain each other’s attention, for example tapping them on the shoulder or moving into their line of sight. They will also revise how to sign 'Good morning, how are you?' and learn how to introduce themselves to each other.

Grade 3 to 6

Students in grade 3 to 6 will practise sharing with a partner what they did on their summer holidays. They will also learn to sign and recognise various common classroom instructions and questions that they will be able to use as we work toward learning Auslan in a mostly silent classroom environment.

PE

Prep:

Students will be introduced to the basic routines in a Physical Education lesson, such as responding to a whistle and staying safe. They will participate in whole class activities which promote cooperation and teamwork. 

Grade 1 & 2:

Students will be introduced to the fundamental motor skill of overarm throwing, with a particular emphasis on form. They are continuing to build up their endurance running in preparation for our Whole School Cross Country.

Grade 3 & 4:

Students will be introduced to the key skills of hitting in our Striking unit. They will learn the correct technique and practise hitting a ball from tee. They are continuing to build up their endurance running in preparation for our Whole School Cross Country.

Grade 5 & 6:

In our Cricket unit, students will consolidate the key skills of the game while participating in modified games. They are continuing to build up their endurance running in preparation for our Whole School Cross Country.

STEM

STEM sessions will explore Biology in the first half of Term 1. 

Grade 1 and 2

Students are learning the procedures of the STEM room and have begun exploring the parts of plants. We will be venturing into the garden to identify, describe and compare the different parts of plants. Students will set up a living seed necklace experiment, where they will meet the basic needs of a seed to enable it to germinate.

Grade 3 and 4

Students will investigate the life cycle of plants, including the many amazing ways that they can begin their life, and the adaptations that have helped them survive and thrive. We will research natural and man made processes of plant propagation, and set up experiments to explore how vegetables can be grown from scraps.

Grade 5 and 6

Students will continue to explore how changes to an environment can impact the growth and survival of living things. They will observe changes to their seedlings planted last week, and experiment with different conditions to influence the growth of mould on a piece of bread. Students will consider the importance of organisation and safety when conducting experiments.