Specialist Programs

Health & Physical Education, Japanese, Performing Arts & Visual Arts

Communicating with the Specialist Team

We look forward to partnering with you in 2020, and welcome your input:

Justin Scicluna (Health & Physical Education) Justin.Scicluna@education.vic.gov.au

Sensei Masae Uekusa (Japanese) uekusa.masae.m@edumail.vic.gov.au

Penelope Lang (Performing Arts) penelope.lang@education.vic.gov.au

Samantha White (Visual Arts) samantha.white@education.vic.gov.au

An Overview of our Learning

State School's Spectacular 2020 - On TV This Saturday!!!

As you will be aware, the 2020 SSS was impacted by Covid 19. Instead of the scheduled live performance at Melbourne Arena, all performers were filmed (in their homes, gardens, garages) and the show was turned into an online format. We had 9 dancers and 8 singers who continued with the Webex rehearsals. Channel 7 Melbourne will air a special broadcast with behind-the-scenes highlights will on Saturday 5th December at 7pm on Seven in Victoria. It will also be livestreamed on the 7plus app and 7plus website, www.7plus.com.au, and will be available for catch-up viewing on the 7plus app and website for 30 days from the broadcast date. Please mark your diary now and tell all your friends and family to tune in!! You might just spot someone you know.

Upwey South's Got Talent

Thank you so much to all of those students who submitted acts for USGT. Entries are now closed and I am looking forward to watching the performances together in class over the next couple of weeks.

Christmas Concert - Free Dress

Next week we will begin filming the class items for our online Christmas concert. This will be done over two days. It would be great if your child could come to school in Christmas themed clothes (on the date assigned below). They can wear anything that looks Christmassy (red, green, white, silver, gold etc), elf ears, Santa hats, tinsel, glitter, red wigs, reindeer ears...the more the merrier! Please note these dates:

Tuesday 8th December - Prep to 2 students to dress up

Wednesday 9th December - 3 to 6 students to dress up

All Creatures Great and Small.

Thanks to those of you who have sent me your pet photos (I only have 3 at the moment!) I really need a few more so it would be great if you could send me a photograph (no video please just a still shot) of your family (or just students) with one of your pets. It might be in front of the Christmas tree or with a silly Santa hat on. The crazier the better. I have created an assignment on google classroom which will assist us with the editing. Please send in your photos no later than 11th of December.

Our Learning

Foundation

We continued to rehearse our songs and dances for Christmas and spent time adding actions and movements to our newest song, 'Santa Shark'. We rehearsed outside, 'on location' so the students could familiarise themselves with the space and adjust their singing voices to adapt to singing outdoors. The students explored creative/improvised dance during our game, 'Rock Star'.

Level 1 and 2

This week the level 1 students helped each other to learn additional choreography for 'Pig the Pug'. We looked at line spacing and safe dance practice and the challenge of combining singing AND dancing. The level 2 students continued to rehearse their Christmas song, 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree'. Both grades used our 'Dance Circle' to explore improvised dance movement to the 80s classic, 'The Only Way is Up'. We also watched a behind the scenes video of the 2020 Music Count Us In song, 'You Won't Bring Us Down'. I can't wait until we can all learn this for our school choir in 2021.

Level 3 and 4

The students in levels 3 and 4 have continued to work hard on the 'Christmas YMCA' with particular focus on using our 'dancing face'. We have discussed how much extra energy is required during a 'filmed' performance. We have rehearsed outside so as to familiarise ourselves with the performance area and spacing requirements. We played the drama game, 'Think the Um' which teaches fast thinking skills and the skill of thinking before we speak. It was fantastic to watch some students use their creative imaginations and just 'make it up' when they were given a topic to talk about (for 60 seconds) which they knew very little about. Some students lasted 3 seconds before saying 'um' whilst others made it to the full 60 seconds. We had so much fun....you should try this game at home.

Level 5 and 6

This week we added simple movements to our song, 'Letter to Santa' and continued to work on keeping a steady beat. There has been a tendency to speed up during the song which has made it difficult to sing (and understand) the lyrics. We came together to discuss lines and spacing and, if the weather is nice, we plan to rehearse outside.

We were treated to a special performance of the Russian National Anthem (yes Russian!!!) from Frankie in 5/6A much to the delight of his captive audience. This will certainly go down as one of my career highlights. We played the game, 'Think the Um' which highlighted how many times we all say 'um' when we are speaking.

Keep smiling,

Penelope Lang

Foundation: Students in the Foundation cohort have continued moving through their four week tennis program. They have focused on key movements, strikes and some small team games. At the completion of each lesson the students have been asked an overnight question to promote doing some research about the game and its equipment. It has been great to see the students progression over the four weeks. Next week the children will learn about the body's different emotions and feeling.

Level 1 & 2: Students in the Level 1 & 2 cohort continued on with their four week tennis program. In the last fortnight they have worked on the forehand and backhand strikes and volleys. They have also participated in some mini games. At the completion of each lesson the students have been asked an overnight question to promote doing some research about the game and its equipment. In their last lesson the students played in a mini tournament with modified court dimensions and rules.

Level 3 & 4: Our students in Level 3 & 4 began their unit on kicking. Our first lesson focused on the basic skills involved with AFL while also playing a team game of Tennis Footy. In our second lesson, the students moved on to a different style of kicking which incorporated the use of the inside of their foot and a soccer ball. Next week, students will learn about the importance of a balanced diet and look at key recipes which can contribute to healthy eating.

Level 5 & 6: The students in Level 5 & 6 completed their unit on kicking which concluded with a lesson involving soccer skills and a team game. Last week, the children were introduced to the topic involving the bodies Energy Systems. The ‘ask of the task’ was to select an energy system, describe it, apply it to a sport and develop a training plan. This week we will practise the skills involved with handball and play a mini game.

Justin Scicluna

Physical Education & Health Teacher

Konnichiwa, minas an! (Hello, everyone!)

Foundation

Foundation students have been working hard to learn days of the week in Japanese. Please have a look at the photos and see how they coloured the umbrella according to the Japanese sound. They also enjoyed colouring the shapes of the Japanese characters and playing a card game called ‘oni game’ which help them master the five Japanese fruit names in the ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ story.

Grade 1 and 2

Grade 1 and 2 students have been learning the features of each Japanese script (Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji) through fun activities such as colouring the sections with each script. Now they know all the three scripts, they are ready to test their knowledge by taking a special game on ‘Quizizz’!

Grade 3 and 4

In the past couple of weeks, Grade 3 and 4 students have been learning to recognise and find new Hiragana letters on the Hiragana phonetic chart each week. It is quite refreshing to see that some students want to practise their full name in Japanese many, many times! (Please see the photos.)

Grade 5 and 6

Grade 5 and 6 students have continued to revise and test their knowledge in this term. They also worked on the 1-99 number chart by filling out the missing Kanji characters! Their listening and speaking skills are getting better and better each lesson. I like whenever the students try to make a joke in Japanese and others get it straight away.

Foundation

Over the last fortnight Foundation students have been exploring two dimensional and three dimensional texture. Students touched and described the physical texture of a variety of everyday items. Students were read the Bob Graham book, "Let's get a pup." Students then used paints, forks and toothbrushes to create a painting a picture of a puppy with fluffy looking fur. The following week students mounted their work onto cover paper.

Over the next week students will be bringing home the art work they created at school during 2020. Students will also be bringing home their art smocks to be washed over the holidays. Please remember to bring them back to school in the first week of 2021.

Level 1 and 2

Contour lines and how they are used in Visual Arts was examined and discussed by the Level 1 and 2 students. Students used paper to make a piece of Contour Art. Students have to choose a basic shape such as a circle, oval, rectangle, square, triangle or heart and add layers of paper to their shape. They then had to cut out the contour of their original shape by following the outline, leaving a 1cm gap between their cut and the edge. This focused on developing their ability to cut on an imaginary line.

Their final pieces of art work are fantastic!

Level 3 and 4

Over the last few weeks the Level 3 and 4 students have finished their "Tonal Cat" pieces of art by cutting it out, mounting it onto cover paper, and adding highlights by tracing over their original lines with a variety of metallic coloured oil pastels. There final pieces of work were fabulous.

Level 5 and 6

Over the last fortnight Level 5 and 6 students have been drawing tribal inspired masks. Students examined the various features of real tribal masks- noting key features such as the shape of the head, eyes, nose and mouth, as well as how they were decorated. Students used oil pastels to create and coloured their masks. The finished pieces of art work are fantastic.

Over the next week students will be bringing home the art work they created at school during 2020. Students will also be bringing home their art smocks to be washed over the holidays. For Level 5 students, please remember to bring them back to school in the first week of 2021.