Term 2-Specialist classes

Music – Mrs Lisa Scott

Welcome to Term 2 and another busy term for the Specialist team!

This is an outline of what we will be covering in Music this term:

Prep students will continue to develop their musical skills through the topics of ‘The Jungle’, ‘Pirates’ and ‘The Sea’.

Year 1 students will explore creating body percussion and learn techniques for playing a range of percussion instruments. They will also experience music and dance from different countries.

Year 2 students will be creating and performing soundscapes using percussion instruments and body percussion. They will also experience music and dance from different countries and use the Boomwhackers to play along with a variety of music.

Year 3 students will be challenged to develop their singing skills by learning and performing a variety of rounds and canons. They will also compose and perform their own music using the pentatonic scale.

Years 4, 5 and 6 will continue to practise for the upcoming production of Mystery at Magpie Manor. Additionally:

Year 4 students will be learning techniques to play a variety of world drumming music.

Year 5 students will experience playing the guitar, learning to play chords and riffs to accompany a variety of songs in whole class music making.

Year 6 students will work in small groups to compose and perform their own songs.

Performing Arts - Mrs Carmen Collins

We are super excited to consolidate our acting and dramatic skills throughout this term.

In week 1 year levels watched and discussed drama and performances from all around the world and senior students used Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast these performances with each other.

Prep students are focusing on learning and then performing well known nursery rhymes and looking at drama through literacy.

Year 1 students are discovering how to use dramatic skills to perform improvisations and using their bodies for mime and movement.

Year 2 students are learning and then presenting a well-known fairy tale to the class and learning how to portray the characters in them. Students are also learning how to improvise in drama.

Year 3 students are beginning the term learning and performing a reader's theatre play with a group and then looking at literacy through drama.

Year 4 students are beginning the term learning and performing a reader's theatre play with a group focussing on characterisation and expression when performing and then looking at puppetry and masks used in performances.

Year 5 students will begin the term writing a script, then practising and performing it to the class and then investigate mime and movement in drama. We will finish the term discovering our individual talents!

Year 6 students will begin the term writing a script, then practicing and performing it to the class and then study and create some digital drama. We will finish the term with a talent showcase for our classes.

Year 4/5/6 students have been busily practising their finale and class item for the school production Mystery at Magpie Manor. We can’t wait to show you what we have achieved on Wednesday 21st June at Bunjil Place.

Physical Education – Mr Ahmad Chazbek & Mr Jeff Mcgann

Term 2 is another busy term with several sporting and athletic events for our students to experience. In the last week of term 2, students from years 4 to 6 will participate in the Hillsmeade Athletics event at Casey Fields. The results gathered during this event will determine who makes it into the Hillsmeade Athletics squad that will compete in the District Athletics in August.

The school’s interschool cricket, soccer, badminton, netball and T-Ball teams will be participating in several interschool games this term against other primary schools in our district. These teams will also be participating in the Lightning Premiership event later this term. This is a fun day where the students will compete in their sporting teams against other schools for the entire day.

Students in Years 5 & 6 will have the opportunity to participate in Hoop Time this term. This is a basketball event that caters for all skill levels. The students that sign up for Hoop Time will be training with a team based on their individual skill level in preparation to compete against students from other schools in the area. The Year 3 and 4 students will get to participate in Hoop Time in Term 3.

The focus for the physical education lessons this term for the students in Years 3 to 6 will be athletics. The students will be exploring the techniques required to be successful in running, hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put and discus.

The students in Years Prep to 2 will be continuing their unit on soccer as well as beginning their unit on the fundamental motor skills which incorporates running, jumping, hopping, skipping, throwing and catching.

Visual Arts - Mrs Andrea Garwood & Mrs Lainie Owen

Lots of student Artwork has been displayed on the walls in the main building and it looks amazing!

Prep students have been using geometric shape stamps in paint to make patterns and pictures. They made their own patterned and textured paper which they then used to create sun pictures after listening to Eric Carle’s book – Where Is The Sun? They will get to create some 3D art using magiclay and produce textile pictures during the rest of the term.

Year 1 students have been using stamps, paint scrapers and other objects to create their own patterned and textured paper. They created sun pictures after listening to Eric Carle’s book – Where Is The Sun? We are looking forward to producing some 3D art using magiclay and producing pictures using a variety of fabrics.

Year 2 students have been using stamps, paint scrapers and other objects to create pictures and their own patterned and textured paper. Students then used their paper as a lion’s mane on their lion artwork after listening to the book, The Lion Inside. They will be producing some 3D art using magiclay and creating pictures using fabric over the next few weeks.

Year 3 & 4 studentshave experimented with resistant materials. They used oil pastels to create an outer space scene then washed it with food dye. They also made their own painted paper using art tools and other objects to create patterns and textures. These papers, combined with magiclay, were used on a mixed media artwork of a city scene. During this term they will be producing some more 3D art using clay and being introduced to textiles.

Year 5 & 6 studentshave used watercolour to create a background scene, then added their own designed and coloured hot air balloons. During this term they will be producing some 3D art using clay and textile art using a variety of materials and fabrics.

All students will be part of a whole school Art display.

Digi Tech/Media Arts– Mr Hardev Singh & Mrs Janelle Struth

Prep, 1 and 2 students have been learning how to use google maps to find different locations such as Hillsmeade Primary and different landmarks around the world. We will be learning about internet safety and the importance of not giving out personal information online. Further into the term, we will be learning how to code and the importance of problem solving using technology, to do this we will be using an app called “Spritebox” to help us.

Year 3 students have learnt how to access Microsoft teams where they were able to communicate with the teacher, upload files and complete a wellbeing check in. We will be learning about stop motion animation where students are able to use images that they have taken to create a small animation. We will use different materials such as clay, pipe cleaners and googly eyes to design and create characters and use them to make our animation. The app “Stop Motion” will be used to make the animations.

Year 4 students will engage in a variety of activities to develop their skills in coding, graphic design, vlogging, and cyber-smart behaviour. They will begin by learning the basics of coding through platforms like Scratch, allowing them to create interactive stories and animations. Next, they will explore the world of graphic design using Canva, where they will learn about composition, colour theory, and typography to create visually appealing artwork. The students will also delve into vlogging and digital storytelling, scripting, filming, and editing their vlogs to express their ideas and experiences. Additionally, they will receive essential education on cyber smart practices, including online safety, responsible digital citizenship, and protecting personal information. Finally, the students will collaborate on a multimedia project integrating coding, Canva, vlogging, and cyber-smart knowledge, promoting teamwork, creativity, and applying learned skills. Throughout these activities, the emphasis will be on fostering creativity, critical thinking, and ethical behaviour in the media arts.

Year 5 students will partake in diverse activities to enhance their coding, graphic design, vlogging, and cyber safety skills. They will begin by learning fundamental coding concepts through interactive platforms such as Scratch. Utilising Canva, students will explore graphic design principles, including colour theory and typography, to create visually captivating artwork. Furthermore, they will delve into the art of vlogging and digital storytelling, crafting and editing their vlogs to express ideas and experiences. Emphasising the importance of responsible digital citizenship, students will receive instruction on cyber safety, covering topics like online privacy and protection against cyberbullying. To culminate the course, students will collaborate on a multimedia project integrating coding, Canva, vlogging, and cyber safety knowledge, fostering teamwork and creativity while applying learned skills

Year 6 students will explore coding, graphic design, photography, vlogging, and cyber safety. They will learn coding basics through platforms like Scratch. Additionally, they will delve into visual design principles, creating visually appealing artwork. Students will explore the art of photography, discovering composition techniques and storytelling through images. They will also develop vlogging and digital storytelling skills, expressing ideas effectively. Cyber safety education will cover topics like online privacy and combating cyberbullying. A collaborative multimedia project will integrate coding, graphic design, photography, vlogging, and cyber safety, promoting teamwork, creativity, and practical application of skills.

STEM – Mrs Carolyn Okamura

We have an exciting Term planned for our students, learning new subject areas as follows:

Prep students will begin an investigation into the Physical Sciences, specifically the forces of nature. They will be learning and testing push and pull forces, gravity and air resistance with various hands on activities.

Year 1, 3 and 5 students will explore Earth Sciences. They will be learning about the rotation and orbit of Earth and how it relates to day/night and the seasons, they will learn

about our solar system - revising the names and features of the planets, and they will investigate the different phases of the moon.

Year 2, 4 and 6 students will be learning about different aspects of Biological science. They will learn about the needs of living organisms and investigate different animal and plant lifecycles, they will research some different biomes of our world and how animals and plants have adapted to survive in these conditions, and the Year 6 classes will investigate some different types of microorganisms and their functions.

Mandarin – Miss Wei Wang

In Term 2, we will continue to build up our speaking skills, expand our vocabulary, learn about Chinese characters, and explore some cultural aspects. Different year levels will engage in a specific unit of work - 

Prep students will learn to say basic colours and will be officially introduced to the Chinese writing system. They will learn to use a writing grid to practise handwriting Mandarin numbers in both characters and Pinyin (the Romanised pronunciation).  

Year 1 students will learn to name a group of body parts through the Mandarin version Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. They will be revisiting numbers 0-10 and learn to count to twenty. They will learn four basic Chinese characters 日 (sun), 月 (moon), 山 (mountain) and 水 (water) through a nursery rhyme, Mountains and Water, and learn to identify these basic simple characters a components in compound characters.

Year 2 students will extend their vocabulary of colours and learn to say basic family words through the Mandarin version Baby Shark. They will learn to express preferences to describe their likes and dislikes in full sentences, and to substitute the subject ‘wo’ (I) with other nouns (for example, family, pets and animals).

Year 3 students will learn to name some common food items. They will start practising mini dialogues with different peers. Speaking activities will engage students in practical small conversations including asking each other names and ‘how are you’. They will also apply their food vocabulary in sentences and use this knowledge to ask and respond to ‘what is this’ and ‘what is that’.

Year 4 students will engage in a special inquiry unit to learn about Gold Rush and its impact on Australian demographic and economy. Students will continue this learning on their field study trip to the Chinese Museum in city (Museum of Chinese Australian History). They will focus on the journey early miners experienced coming to Australia and their life on the gold mines.   

Year 5 students will focus on countries, nationalities and sports. They will learn to say a selection of common verbs and apply them to exchanging information about activities they do. Students will engage in self-paced online lessons in Duolingo for Schools. They will apply and reinforce phrases learned in Duoligo lesson through mini dialogues with their peers.

Year 6 students will focus on their self-introduction this term. They will revisit all contents covered in previous years and practise giving a mini speech about themselves with a template. Each week, they will focus on one to three aspects and practise delivering this mini speech to a small audience. Their self-introduction will include their English and Chinese names, their gender, age, birthday, nationality or cultural background, family and sports they like or hobbies.