Prep and Year 1 Visual Art

In Week 7, students continued developing their understanding of line through their “Larry the Line” artworks. They explored how different types of lines can be used creatively to express ideas and communicate meaning, while reflecting on and finalising the Learner Profile attributes. Students confidently experimented with a variety of lines as they incorporated these attributes into their work.

In Week 8 , students continued exploring line through a new self-portrait project, aligning with their classroom inquiries. Prep students connected their learning to “Understanding myself and others helps me learn and grow,” while Year 1 students explored how “Understanding and respecting others supports us to build positive relationships.” We look forward to seeing their thoughtful and creative self-portraits develop.

Year 2&3 Visual Art

In week 7 students delved into the world of Vangogh- with detailed and realistic sunflowers. Students focused on colour, shapes, lines and shading to create texture. A fun filled

week of art- painting was their favourite medium, no doubt! Enganged students all around with some bright smiles to match their sunflowers! In week 8, year two and three utilised their imagination with paper and patterns to create a 'Garden of Harmony', with a collaborative piece to fill the entire wall- celebrating diversity and harmony for Harmony day!

Year 4 Visual Art

In weeks 7 and 8, Year 4 students continued exploring the colourful and imaginative work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Kusama is well known for her bold colours and repeating patterns, which inspired students to experiment with their own vibrant designs.

Students focused on being responsible artists while working with Posca paint markers. They practised using the markers with control to carefully add lines, dots, and repeating patterns to the painted backgrounds of their Kusama-inspired artworks.

Throughout the lesson, students worked towards being responsible while using Posca pens and showing control while painting on the background paint work. They also focused on working neatly, with even coverage, clean patterns, lines, and designs.

It has been wonderful to see students taking pride in their work and using the Posca markers carefully to create neat, detailed patterns.

Grade 5 & 6 Visual Art

In the past two weeks, Grade 5 and 6 students have continued developing their Kusama-inspired artworks, moving from their draft designs into the painting stage. Students began transferring their ideas onto their final pieces and started building their paintings using acrylics.

As they worked, students focused on painting in layers and carefully considering their colour choices, particularly the use of complementary colours to create contrast and visual impact. This process has allowed them to bring their patterned designs to life while developing greater confidence with acrylic painting techniques.

Science Prep to grade 6

Science learning has continued with great enthusiasm during Weeks 7 and 8, with students across all year levels participating in engaging hands-on investigations.

Our Prep students have continued exploring and identifying the basic needs of living things. Through observations and discussions, they are learning how living things grow and change.

In Grade 1, students have been further investigating weather patterns, observing daily weather changes and discussing how weather can influence what we wear and the activities we do.

Grade 2 students are continuing their exploration of the properties of materials, examining how materials can be changed through actions such as bending, stretching, heating and cooling, and identifying which materials are best suited for different purposes.

Grade 3 students investigated friction by experimenting with different surfaces and discovering how smooth and rough textures can create more or less friction, affecting how objects move.

Grade 4 students have been busy exploring how weathering and erosion occur through hands-on experiments that demonstrate how natural forces can gradually change the Earth’s surface.

Grade 5 students have been investigating mirrors and reflection, experimenting with how light bounces off mirrors and observing how the angle of light affects the direction of reflection.

In Grade 6, students are building and testing simple circuits as part of their electricity unit. They are exploring how batteries power a circuit and investigating which materials act as conductors or insulators, helping them understand how electrical energy flows.

It has been wonderful to see students developing their curiosity, problem-solving skills and scientific thinking through these practical learning experiences.

Physical Education

Grade Prep - 2

Prep to Grade 2 students have continued developing their fundamental motor skills, including dodging, running and the underarm throw. Students have been using a variety of equipment, such as hula hoops and bean bags, to practise these skills through a range of activities and games, including Bean Bag Toss, Pizza Party and Rob the Nest.

It has been great to see students learning new games, following instructions and working together during team activities.

Grade 3–6

Students in Grades 3–6 have continued preparing for the upcoming Athletics Carnival in Term 2. Over the past two weeks, lessons have focused on developing skills in hurdles, the 400m and 800m track events, and high jump.

Students who feel confident in their long-distance running have been encouraged to participate in our upcoming Cross Country event, which will take place during the final week of school. Students have had the opportunity to sign up for this event, which will be held on the school grounds.

We look forward to seeing many students challenge themselves and enjoy these exciting events.

WELLBEING

Over the past two weeks in Wellbeing, students across all year levels have been learning about persistence, problem solving, and positive ways to cope with challenges and conflict. Students explored how problems are a normal part of life and practised strategies to manage emotions, work through disagreements, and support their wellbeing.

Foundation

Prep students have been learning that challenges are a normal part of learning and growing. They stopped and reflected on what they want from a friend, helping themself understand how to solve problems and build positive friendships.They talked about why it is important to keep trying, even when something feels difficult. Students discussed challenges they might face this year and shared ideas about actions that can help them keep going and succeed.

Year One

Year One students explored how conflict can happen in everyday situations and practised ways to solve problems respectfully. Through discussions and role-plays, they looked at different ways to respond when disagreements occur. Students also focused on including others, learning how to help classmates feel welcomed and part of the group.

Year Two

Year Two students discussed how trying new things can sometimes feel challenging or unfamiliar, and how being brave and giving things a go can lead to positive experiences. They also explored common conflicts that can happen at school and practised respectful strategies to solve problems.

Year Three

Year Three students explored how emotions and friendships can change as we grow. They created a “Strong Emotions Thermometer” to understand different emotional intensities and discussed ways to manage strong feelings. Students also developed their own self-calming strategies to help them stay calm and focused during challenging moments.

Year Four

Year Four students investigated ways to promote health, safety and wellbeing in everyday life. They also explored persistence and adaptability when facing challenges. Using the “Roads and Roundabouts” problem-solving model, students practised thinking about different choices they could make when faced with problems.

Year Five

Year Five students learned about the importance of preventive health and positive wellbeing habits, including staying active, building social connections and making healthy choices. Students created a “Confidence Tree” to build their self-belief and support a positive mindset during NAPLAN. They were also introduced to the concept of self-talk and discussed how positive thinking can help when facing challenges.

Year Six

Year Six students continued exploring preventive health and wellbeing, focusing on the role of positive habits and social support. They also learned about self-talk and coping strategies, building their own Positive Coping Portfolio. In addition, students discussed independent learning and problem solving, thinking about how they can manage challenges and take responsibility for their learning.

Through these activities, students are developing important life skills such as resilience, empathy, problem solving and emotional regulation.

Prep Students Learn Colors in Spanish!

Our Prep students have been learning colors in Spanish and putting their knowledge into practice through songs, games, and dances, making learning fun and engaging. In the photo, you can see the students coloring parts of the drawing according to the color indicated. This activity helps them recognize the written word for each color while enjoying a hands-on, interactive experience.

Mandarin with Miss Xiong and Miss Qiao

In Mandarin, we use the unique Accelerative Integrated Methodology (AIM) to support students in learning Chinese language and exploring traditional Chinese culture. Through interactive activities, games, songs, and visual supports, students develop their confidence in speaking, recognising characters, and understanding Mandarin in an engaging way.

Prep: In Prep, students begin their Mandarin learning journey by recognising Chinese number hand gestures and learning how to say the numbers in Mandarin. Through engaging resources such as Fun Mandarin videos and number songs, students are introduced to the sounds and rhythm of the language in a fun and supportive way. Students practise tracing simple Mandarin characters and complete number-themed colouring sheets related to counting. These hands-on and visual activities help students build confidence while developing early recognition of Mandarin numbers and characters.

Year 1–2: In the early years, students focus on mastering the fundamentals of Mandarin, starting with counting numbers from 1–10. Using traditional Chinese hand gestures, students gain an understanding of the meaning and origins behind each gesture. Building on this foundation, students extend their mathematical skills by learning how to add numbers from 1–19 in Mandarin. Engaging activities such as the Chinese Dragon Number Game and Word Wall Game help reinforce their learning in an interactive and enjoyable way.

Year 3–4: As students progress, they continue developing their number knowledge by counting from 1–19 and begin incorporating these numbers into simple sentence structures. Students not only practise the rules of counting in Mandarin but also learn to communicate basic information, such as asking and answering questions about age. Through a combination of online games and worksheets, students strengthen their ability to recognise Chinese characters and pinyin while building their confidence in using Mandarin.

Year 5–6: In the upper years, students expand their understanding of Chinese counting rules, including numbers from 1–10, 11–19, and 20–99. Writing skills are developed through engaging activities such as the Counting Bubble Tea worksheet, which encourages both creativity and accuracy in writing characters. Students also review and consolidate their learning through interactive platforms such as Blooket, helping them strengthen their understanding of Mandarin concepts in a fun and collaborative environment.

DANCE.

The Year 4’s have been working on various tasks that have addressed life skills such as ownership, accountability, being open minded and a risk taker. We also had students pair up with someone they don’t normally work with, and were given a task to reconstruct the steps and combinations given to them in a different order, and within a certain timeframe.

This task covered important elements such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, time management, creativity, compromise, and supporting each others ideas to help reach a common goal. This challenged the students as they had to remain within the guidelines given, yet still be able to create something different together to what was shown.

Students learnt the value of being openminded and the importance of stepping out of their comfort zones, and working with others they don’t normally associate with, while utilising their different views and opinions to achieve the goal set out. It also taught them the relevance that exercises like this have to the outside world, and how they connect to their journey throughout life.

Wakakirri.....(Dance)

Our dance extension students have been rehearsing twice a week as we continue to start building our storyline for this years theme of “Guardians Of Us”. We are currently learning the final number of our routine first, and then will start putting the other pieces of the routine together soon. Everything is done in a certain order to help the creative process flow. This year looks to be another routine with a few beautiful moments that I’m sure everyone will connect with.

VSSS.....(Dance)

Our Victorian State School Spectacular dancers have been rehearsing hard also over the last few weeks. We have begun breaking down some of the routines and addressing the finer details of the steps to ensure everyone is doing the choreography as specified by VSSS. Students are learning to adapt to changes and new steps that they haven’t done before, testing both their mind and body. Teamwork is very high in this amazing group and they already show signs of being one of the strongest VSSS groups yet. We can’t wait for them to hit the stage soon!

Community Announcements