Specialists

Physical Education

In PE this Semester, our main focus will be on building skills such as cooperation communication, resilience, persistence and problem solving through a variety of modified games. Students will regularly participate in team games to develop skills in order to successfully work as a team. We limit teacher talk so students are given the opportunity to be involved in decision making for game rules and demonstrate their leadership skills.

We strive to incorporate skills from a variety of sports so students are getting the opportunity to be involved, participating and moving as much as possible.

Students will develop their gross motor skills through various ball sports involving throwing, catching, kicking and rolling. They will also engage in various types of locomotion such as, skipping, jogging, hopping and jumping.

In the second half of term 1, our lessons will focus on Athletics and tabloid events, in preparation for our School Sports Day on Friday 31st March, Week 9.

Students are reminded to wear suitable clothing and footwear to all PE lessons to ensure their full participation.

German

In our weekly German lessons, students use language in context through familiar routines, games, songs and repetition.  They exchange greetings and information making connections between English and German.  This semester will be an introduction to learning German including the concept of where we are in the world and where German is spoken. There is a high component of oral interaction in our learning experiences.  

At our whole school assembly in week 11, the reception children will be presented with a German ‘Schultüte’, a traditional gift received by children when they start school in German.

Please encourage your child(ren) to tell you about what they have been learning in German. See what they can teach you!  

(Frau) Libby Edwards (Morphett 22 Mon-Thurs)  

elizabeth.edwards559@schools.sa.edu.au

Science

Students in their first years of schooling learn Science through experience, which is done through a combination of play and inquiry, and underpinned by the development of skills in Science lessons, school generally and everyday life.  During Semester One, students will use their senses to investigate and describe the properties of materials, such as shape and colour. They will also explore how objects move and how that movement is influenced by the properties of the materials from which they are made.

Students gather information and share their observations in a variety of ways during Science lessons.  One strategy we use for students to share and develop their ideas is called Think-Pair-Share.  This requires students to think quietly about the intended learning outcomes and share their thoughts with a partner.  Pairs then join with others to form larger groups and continue their discussions.  These ideas are recorded and displayed in a variety of ways including Y charts and Venn diagrams. Reflection time is a vital stage in learning where students share their observations, respond to questions and, when relevant, pose their own questions. 

During investigations students are guided through a teaching and learning cycle that supports them to build on their prior knowledge, explain their observations and thinking to others and apply this learning in new contexts. Students use graphs, diagrams and posters, and other aspects of numeracy and literacy to represent their findings and evaluate their ideas. We encourage students to become more engaged in the intended learning by taking risks, trying new ideas and challenging their own beliefs. 

Andrew and Sonja.