Specialist Programs

Year 3

Performing Arts

The Performing Arts gives students a chance to display their flair for performance in solo, group or class settings. Taught in line with the Victorian Curriculum, it is a place for singing, dancing, acting, performing, playing and exploring the possibilities of the Performance Arts!

This year includes a focus on drama, which is taught every other year. This will be conducted through a variety of means including in Music sessions through performances including improvised formats, imaginative stories and scripted short plays. This is supported in some years by classroom activities such as reader’s theatre.

In Music, there is a focus on gradually building up melodic and rhythmic knowledge through singing, playing and reading music. All of the skills are acquired through the use of a wide range of folk songs that focus on rhythmic, melodic or other musical elements in a fun environment. This leads to a long term goal of increasingly complex performances, compositions and musical creations by students. The musical elements explored throughout school include tempo, dynamics, texture, tone colour, duration, melody and form. Students gradually become more accomplished in their understanding and use of relevant vocabulary to each of these elements. Students are exposed to a variety of music from modern era to music that dates 500 years or older in order to gain an appreciation and understanding of the evolution of music over time. 2020 will feature much of the incredible music of Beethoven, who would have turned 250 this year. 

In Year 3, students are introduced to part work including canons, the same song sung by 2 groups at different starting times. They learn and perform more sophisticated music in a variety of ways through singing and instrumental performances. Students are introduced to djembes during an African drumming unit to explore the music of other cultures. Students gain a stronger understanding of form by finding repeated sections of music and applying letters to them in order to understand how the composer structured their work.

Students in years 3-6 have the opportunity to audition for the school choir. There are weekly rehearsals on Mondays 1:15-1:45 pm, with additional rehearsals called before major performances. Full attendance and participation is expected at every rehearsal from all choir members. Just as a sports team requires everyone at all training sessions in order to be prepared for  

CHINESE

Modern Standard Chinese - Mandarin (Putonghua or Hanyu) is the standard form of the Chinese language being taught in line with the Victorian Curriculum at Black Rock Primary School.

The content structure of the Languages (formerly called LOTE) is organised through two interrelated strands:

. Communicating

. Understanding

COURSE CONTENT:

The Chinese program consists of a variety of topics which, where possible, will be integrated with the Black Rock Primary School Units of Inquiry.

Students learn Chinese characters and Pinyin Romanisation. The Pinyin is the spelling system used to represent the pronunciation of characters. The Pinyin system also assists students when creating texts in characters using digital media.

Revision of greetings, self- introduction, numbers, days and dates will occur in all lessons throughout the year. Other previously learnt phrases, e.g. like/dislike, colours, adjectives will be used as they are required.

Chinese cultural events will be explored and discussed as they occur throughout the year.

Students are encouraged to use Chinese as much as possible for classroom routines, social interactions, structured learning tasks, and language experimentation and practice. Students will also learn via digital technologies, with a greater emphasis in the upper levels.

The Chinese program is conducted on a weekly basis. Chinese lessons are 45 minutes.

Year 3 and 4  Topics

Self introduction - name, age and grade

Greetings

Numbers

Colours and family members

Money

Transports

Countries/Nationalities 

Olympic Games/ Australia

Christmas

VISUAL ARTS

Visual Arts Teachers:

Cathy Linsdell-Edwards: Monday to Thursday

Lauren Bell:  Friday

The Visual Arts gives students the opportunity to freely express, explore and experiment in a range of materials, tools and techniques, which will enrich their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

At Black Rock Primary School, the Visual Arts Program is taught in line with the Victorian Curriculum . Students will have the opportunity to explore the art areas of drawing, collage, painting, printmaking, construction, modelling and threads and textiles. Students will develop and incorporate the art elements of, colour and value, line, space, form, texture and shape within the making of these art areas. The Visual Arts program will incorporate the study of various artists, art theory and link into topics and integrated studies of work throughout the school.

Visual art diaries will be used to plan, document and record observations of the students’ artworks.

The Visual Arts program is conducted on a weekly basis. Art lessons are 45 minutes.

 identify art principles in works. Students are encouraged to design, plan and evaluate units of work in their art diaries.

Year 3 and 4

In Visual Art classes, students explore ideas and concepts from a range of cultures, comparing observations to their own works. Students are encouraged to use a variety of materials, techniques and processes, specific to the making of their artworks. They plan, discuss and evaluate their work making comparisons with other artists and their art making processes. They experiment in a variety of skills, use art elements and can identify art principles in works. Students are encouraged to design, plan and evaluate units of work in their art diaries.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH  

Health and Physical Education focuses on students enhancing their own and others’ health, safety, wellbeing and physical activity participation in varied and changing contexts. Health and Physical Education offers students an experiential curriculum that is contemporary, relevant, challenging, enjoyable and physically active.

Upper Years Years 3-6

Physical Education classes are focussed around students refining and expanding their range of skills, performing them with increasing precision, accuracy and control in more complex movements, sequences and games. Students begin to observe, and give constructive feedback on the skill performance of their peers. Students are required to achieve all these objectives in a range of different environments. Some of the sports taught throughout the year to improve student performance include Soccer, Australian Rules Football, Athletics, Gymnastics, Dance, Basketball, Netball, Volleyball, Rugby, Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse, Hockey, Cricket, Badminton and Tennis.

Parental Requirements

·        In the case of injury or illness, students are required to come to school with a hand written note from their parents to excuse them from any Physical Education classes.

·        Students need to be prepared for all weather conditions in their Physical Education classes. I.e. Hat, sunscreen, jumpers

·        Specialist classroom behaviour expectations are similar to classroom expectations.