Term 2
Where has the term gone? As you read on you will see there has been a wide range of learning activities and events to ensure our students remained connected to their peers and teachers and are engaged in the teaching and learning program after such a long period of remote learning. I can’t quite believe that it is assessment and report writing time. As I visit classrooms, I have been observing students complete assessment and moderation tasks that are reflecting the knowledge and understandings they have developed over the semester. These tasks, along with teacher observations, will provide the information required for teachers to make informed comment on the progress each student has made towards their individual learning goals. It has been interesting to watch how students tackle these tasks, problem solve, and explain their reasoning as they work through them. All tasks are differentiated to ensure students are being assessed at an appropriate learning level. I am sure this learning will be reflected in the reports that will come out to parents after the semester break.
During this semester’s integrated unit “What is Family” students investigated themselves and their own history. Through a variety of activities, students have used photos, special items from home, drawings and factual writing to share their family stories, These activities assisted students to identify the people in their family, how they are related to each other, their cultural background, and how their families celebrate events that are important to them. As our classes are made up of students from diverse cultural backgrounds family celebrations and the stories are also diverse and unique. Some of the family celebrations that were investigated across classes included Easter, Greek Easter, Diwali, The Festival of Light, Ramadan and Eade and Kwanzaa. Students looked at questions such as: When does the celebration happen? What does the celebration mean? What might happen during the celebration? What symbols do families display or use during the celebration? Is there is traditional clothing that is worn? All activities are planned to support the stage of learning in each class and have assist students to begin to understand what a family is, that all family stories and celebrations are different and that Australia is made up of many cultures who celebrate special occasions in different ways.
To wrap up this semester’s unit of study two fun events have been planned. These events will occur on Wednesday 22nd of June when we are having a Multi- Cultural Day. Students are invited to dress up to represent their own culture. Each class group will take part in a Bollywood Dance incursion over the day along with a range of fun activities in the classroom. I hear that there will also be a range of food from different cultures to taste. Sounds like fun. What a great way to end to end the unit.
Given the circumstances of the last two years, it had been a long time since we had been able to invite our parent/carers onsite, so it was wonderful to see so many of our mothers, grandmothers, fathers, and special people join our Mother’s Day celebrations. These celebrations created great excitement for our students and they worked very hard to get everything just right for their special visitors. Students were involved in the planning and preparation for this day. Students used their money skills when choosing gifts from the Mother’s Day stall, followed instructions to make cards and gifts and collaborated to plan how to the host visitors coming into their rooms. Each classroom entertained their guests in different ways and with different activities which showcased the work that the students had completed to make the day a memorable one for those visiting.
Education Week gave us another opportunity to showcase the achievements and hard work of the Lower Primary students and staff. As part of this week parents were invited into their child’s classroom to see them at work and to join in the activities that had been planned. Our students love having their parents at school and were very eager to share their work and morning tea with their parents.
As part of Reconciliation Week, students were involved in activities to foster an early understanding about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their histories. Students watched video clips, listened to stories and completed art and craft works to reflect their understanding of these. Some of our older students used writing to reflect their understanding of what Reconciliation Week meant to them. Lower Primary was fortunate to experience a visit from Big Al and his son Pancakes (Tristan), who are members of the Noongar tribe of Western Australia. Students learned about what "aboriginal": means, listened to the didgeridoo and dreamtime stories. Our students were so engaged by this presentation and even chose to have their faces painted with traditional signs.
This term we have been very fortunate to have weekly tennis lessons conducted by Topseed Tennis. Our coach Callum, has provided lots of fun and engaging activities for us to work on and improve our tennis skills. We have practised how to perform a forehand, volley, smash and a backhand using two hands. Lots of hand-eye and tracking skills have also been worked on. The students have also learnt racquet care and have enjoyed collecting balls after each round of skills. The students have shown lots of focus and love for this program, being a highlight for most students each Wednesday or Thursday. All classes have participated in a 45 minute lesson spanning over 8 weeks. Over the holidays the Kingsbury Tennis club, Topseed Tennis will host a family open day and BBQ for our Concord families. This program has been funded by Sporting Schools and Tennis Victoria. It has been pleasing to see some of our students joining the club for outside group lessons on a Sunday.
This program occurred due to the foresight of Suzanne Bates who this year is responsible for the swimming and bike education along with classroom responsibilities in PJC. The student’s engagement in the program and working relationship with the coach Callum has been exceptional. He catered for every student, tailoring activities to specifically meet their individual capabilities. It was so exciting to watch each student participate and to see the look of pride on their faces as they were successful in learning new skills. A fantastic program.
Around the classes
LPA, LPB, LPC
Students from the inside classes participate in Friday afternoon rotational activities. This term, these activities have been swimming, Science, directed drawing and Technology. In Science, the students have conducted several experiments including mixing oil, food colouring, bi carb soda and water to make lava lamps, combining soft drink and mentos lollies to make exploding soda, mixing shaving cream, food colouring and water to make rain clouds and using a variety of classroom objects to test whether they sink or float. The students follow a specific procedure, make predictions and draw and write about what happened. In directed drawing, students have taken part in explicitly instructed step by step drawing. They have been directed to draw Minions, Bluey, Sonic and Nemo and were very happy with their attempts. In the technology session students are taught cyber safety which includes how to be safe when using the internet, rules around taking photos or videos of others and asking for consent before navigating and using a variety of apps on the iPad. This term, there has also been a girls group for swimming. They have participated in a 45 minute session over 8 weeks which focuses on skills such as water familiarisation, safety, breath control and/or stroke development. The girls are always excited and raring to go every week. Swimming is always a popular activity.
LPD, LPE,LPF
As part of Reconciliation Week, Lower Primary was privileged to experience a visit from Big Al and his son Pancakes (Tristan), who are members of the Noongar tribe of Western Australia. Big Al and Pancakes engaged students with a live didgeridoo performance, storytelling, and face painting. The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were captivated by every moment of it. We all learnt a great deal more about Australia’s rich Indigenous history. Reconciliation Week is an important time to learn about actions and change we can make for the benefit of all Australians. This year the Reconciliation Council are asking everyone to make change beginning with brave actions in their daily lives – where they live, work, play and socialise. Find out more about their work and what you can do here.
LPG, LPH, LPI
This term students in LPG, LPH and LPI have had lots of fun participating in our Writing program. They worked hard to develop their language skills and explore different types of writing genres. Our Writing program builds on an experience, then students contribute words to create an aided language display with key words that they will then later use to assist them during their independent / guided writing. We explored Transactional Writing where students learnt how to write an invitation and card, which they presented to their mums for our Mother’s Day activity afternoon. When we explored Procedural Texts, we emphasised the importance of having the correct materials to make something and then students had to assist in sequencing the steps to recall how they made it. We also worked on developing our descriptive language and types of words we can use to describe things in more detail. Some of our language experiences were making cat in the hat fruit skewers, paper snakes, leaf creatures and a hot air balloon.
LPJ, LPK
This term in Prep, we celebrated Mother’s Day with our mums and special visitors. The Preps were very excited to have special visitors come to see us in the classrooms where we performed a special dance called “Inside my Heart” by Hi 5. We also participated in lots of fun activities together such as making crowns, fruit kebabs and dressing up for our very own Prep photo booth! Thank you to all the special visitors who made this afternoon so memorable for all the students.
Social Competencies
Lower Primary students took part In the Drug Education Unit as part of their Social Competencies program for Term 2. The Prep students learnt about what it looks like and feels like to be sick compared to feeling well. They used doctor’s kits and dolls for exploratory play to reinforce this concept. The second year students focused on who they can tell if they are sick at school, home and in the community. The older students learnt all about medicines and the people that can administer medicines safely. They examined the different forms of medicine and where the medicine is administered on the body. The inside classes also looked at the different forms of medicine together with where the medicine goes once it enters the body. All students worked hard throughout the unit and had a great time using anatomical models of the body, dolls and empty medicine containers to increase their knowledge.
For the last few weeks in Term 2 we have focused on “Feelings” and how to recognise and label our own feelings and those of others. The younger students are looking at the basic feelings of happy and sad whereas the second-year students are learning about happy, sad, angry and scared feelings. The inside classes are extending their knowledge of more complex feelings such as proud, excited, worried and embarrassed to name a few. All students are being taught that they can look at facial expressions and body language for clues as to how others are feeling. Students are also exposed to okay and not okay responses to their feelings.
Specialists
Such an incredible term! The children were singing and dancing with Alix in Performing Arts. In the Library, they were learning about their place in space with Helen and in the Visual Arts room, were developing primary and secondary colour knowledge with Marcella.
This term was a whirlwind trip across the globe all from the comfort of the classroom. Students danced to songs from different parts of the world and used previously unseen musical instruments. It’s fair to say that Performing Arts was a noisy and exciting space.
In the Library, each student contributed many pages towards their learning booklets. Weekly, a new aspect of Space was explored through an interesting picture story book and craft activity. In the Art room, through songs, clips and activities, students are grasping the concept of mixing primary to make secondary colours. With each week came a new colour and type of colouring approach. Without a doubt, next term is going to be another busy one.
Occupational Therapy
In our Fine Motor sessions this term, the Preps have worked on building strength and control from the big muscles in their shoulders and core right down to their fingers. The students had lots of fun at the chalkboard in this session, drawing big racetracks on which to drive toy cars and then building their hand strength by using spray bottles to clean off the chalkboard at the end.
Speech Therapy
LPA, LPB and LPC have been sharing their Weekend News supported by Nicole. Students have enjoyed sharing their news with their peers and using colour coding visuals to support their responses.
As another term of learning along with a lot of fun, cooperation and team work comes to an end, I would like to give students and staff a big pat on the back for their hard work and continued willingness to take on tasks that can seem challenging. I look forward to a productive term 3 working with you. Happy and safe holidays everyone.
Kath Moore
Watsonia Campus Principal