Specialist Programs
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
Performing Arts
Welcome back to Remote Learning 2.0. I hope you and your family have settled back into a routine that works for you and can find the silver lining during these challenging times. I know my own children (who are in Year 9 and Year 7) have had to dig a little deeper to motivate themselves the second time around. I often think about the poster that is up near our school basketball court that says ‘Together Soon Enough’ to remind myself that this will pass. For now, I hope that you can find some fun and connection through my lessons.
The Performing Arts Curriculum incorporates four different domains, namely, Music, Dance, Drama and Media Arts. As you can imagine, this is quite a lot to cover, at any depth, in one year. This is why I choose a different focus for each Semester. Some primary schools only teach Music but I feel very passionate about providing creative opportunities across a more varied range of arts.
Our focus this term is Dance. Our juniors have been looking at different ways of moving their bodies and incorporating different dynamics. Our more senior students have been looking at using dance to express emotion and using dance to tell a story. All students have been introduced to ‘safe dance practice’ and dance warm ups. We will continue to work on developing our dance vocabulary as well as technical and expressive skills and confidence.
I have also been very busy engaging in Zoom meetings with the Performing Arts Unit who are proceeding with this year’s State Schools Spectacular. As you can imagine this has required some very creative changes to adapt to the current stage 4 restrictions. I have attached some photos of our online VSSS rehearsals. Can you spot Mr Kitch?
Have a great week everyone. Stay safe and stay connected.
Ms Lang
Online Visual Arts
In Visual Arts this week students in all levels have been focusing on texture, and how it can be used in Art work.
Students in Foundation worked on finding 3D texture from around their house, which they use to make a hot air balloon.
Students in Level 1 and 2 found places around their house which had physical texture which they used to make a crayon rubbing. They then used these rubbings to create a collage.
Students in Level 3 and 4 used paints to create textured paper, which they then used to create a collage.
The Level 5 and 6 students examined the monsters in the book “Where the wild things are” to observe how the artist showed texture in his drawings. Students then draw their own monster which included a variety of drawn textures on it.
It is so wonderful to see so many families coming together each week to complete their tasks at the same time. The quality of the work is fantastic, and I look forward to seeing everyone’s work each week.
P.E. News
A big congratulations to all of the students and families in the Upwey South PS community for transitioning back to another period of remote learning. I truly believe we are all better prepared this time around. From myself, all I can ask is that everyone gives their best and if there are problems please reach out and I will assist in whatever way I can.
To commence the term, lessons for students have had a focus on refining the Fundamental Motor Skill set on varying levels, in particular throwing, catching and kicking. Some of the activities have included the Trick shot Challenge, Space Wars and Skittle Kick. This will continue to be a focus moving forward for the students in F-2, whilst our students in levels 3-6 will focus on an athletics program. Should there be an athletics carnival in Term Four, this will assist our students in preparing for the event.
Enjoy the remainder of the term everyone!
Mr. Scicluna
Health and P.E.
LOTE News
Students have been enjoying having activity choices on the ‘activity board’ which includes links to different activities and fun learning games such as songs, eBook, Gimkit, Quizizz, Educandy and Classkick. That means that they can decide how and in what order they want to approach the learning content.
Foundation students are working on the useful Japanese expressions and words that they can use every day. They are currently practising the weather song the weather conversation. They will be learning days of the week in the future and making weather report.
Grade 1 and 2 students are continuing to develop their speaking and listening skills as they follow the ‘Juice Bar’ story in every Japanese lesson. With the help of visual cues such as the teacher’s gestures, they are learning to predict the story. They have also started learning the Hiragana letters through fun activities.
Grade 3 and 4 students have been working on the first-time greetings and self-introductory phrases under the unit ‘Business Cards’. By the end of this unit, they will be able to introduce themselves using many expressions entirely in Japanese!
Grade 5 and 6 students will be working on synthesising conversational phrases to create their manga (comic) story under the unit ‘Missing Pet’. It involves revising what they learnt in the past years and learning to apply the knowledge to new sentence structures. Some students are so excited about making a comic and already made a bilingual manga!
