Specialist Term 2 Curriculum News 2023

Music
The junior music program at Lara Lake is based on the Kodaly teaching philosophy.
There are many cognitive, social and emotional benefits to an early music education. Beyond that, young children are more prone to developing absolute pitch (singing in tune) than other children and you’ll quickly see your children develop confidence around their newfound musical skills. We are also using an online program called “Prodigies” where they'll learn to read music and sing with colours, numbers, letters, and solfege (doh re me fa soh la ti doh) using familiar and fun songs. They'll discover how to keep a steady beat, play a variety of rhythms and how to play their first instruments. Finally, they'll learn to sing with confidence, they'll practice the ever-important skill of listening and they'll even do beginner composition and improvisation activities to help express themselves.
As students progress through the school, they branch out and apply their skills to more complex activities such as singing, playing keyboard, guitar, percussion and ukulele. We use technology in an interactive way, using programs like “GarageBand” and Incredibox” where students create, record, and arrange music whilst learning the building blocks of songs: Beat, rhythm, chords, melody and the use of a range of “virtual instruments”.
Students will participate in both small and larger groups to play and compose music, using philosophies of the “Musical Futures” teaching and learning method. This allows students to use their prior knowledge to pursue an area of music they are interested in, in a practical way.
We aim for students to have a wide range of musical experiences and to have a “musical tool belt” of skills and a love of music by the time they move on from here.
We are lucky to have a number of enthusiastic and skilled Music teachers at Lara Lake: Rob Turner, Randall Hill, Sally Venn and Megan Mckenzie.

Physical Education
Term 2 is certainly jam packed full of numerous sporting events and skill-based lessons and activities for our Lara Lake students.
We ask that your child dresses appropriately (runners, shorts/track suit and t-shirt) on the day they have their Physical Education class. If you are unsure of when your child’s PE lesson is, please contact your child’s PE teacher.

P.E Program
The PE curriculum for all grade areas will continue to focus on participation, catering to each individual’s ability while having fun in their weekly PE lesson.
In the Prep area, the students will participate in skill-based stations, such as throwing, catching, skipping, kicking and in the second half of the term they will have the opportunity to participate in the school’s Perceptual Motor Program (PMP). PMP is a movement-based program which helps younger students improve their eye/hand and eye/foot coordination, fitness, balance, locomotion and eye-tracking skills.
The Grade 1 and Grade 2 students will continue to develop their sporting skills in catching, throwing and kicking while displaying positive sportsmanship and enthusiasm.
The Grade 3 to Grade 6 students will continue to further develop their sporting skills so they are able to confidently participate in target sports during their weekly lesson. Target games involve propelling an object with the aim to place it on, in or near a target to obtain the best possible score. Sports that use target game objectives include archery, bocce, croquet, golf and ten pin bowling.
The Grade 2 to Grade 6 students will also participate in the Beep Test. The Beep Test requires participants to run back and forth between two points positioned 20 metres apart. The participants must maintain a running speed determined by a pre-set audio tone, that sounds like a “beep”, throughout the duration of the test. The required running speed or pace increases as the test progresses. The Beep Test is used to measure an individual’s aerobic power.
The Grade 6 students are looking forward to putting their sporting skills into practise when they participate in the Winter Lightening Premiership Competition against other schools at Geelong Grammar School, on Tuesday May 30^th.
If you are able to assist on this day, please contact your classroom teacher or Mrs Dowling.
A number of extra skill-based sporting clinics will be organised throughout Term 2 for various year levels at no cost.
If you have any questions or queries please don’t hesitate to contact me.
We are looking forward to working with your child in Term 2.
Please don’t hesitate, to contact any of the PE teachers if you have any concerns or questions with regard to your child and the Physical Education Program.

KEY DATES:

• Wednesday 24th May Curriculum Day - no students on site

• Tuesday May 30th Grade 6 Winter Lightning Premiership

• Wednesday June 21^st Grade Prep Football Clinic

Mrs Cathy Dowling
PE Co-ordinator.

STEM
This term our focus for STEM at Lara Lake Primary School will shift from construction to coding. This means that students will be exposed to different forms of coding across different technologies. The aim is to immerse students into coding and computer science across different platforms to foster skills of creativity, collaboration and independent thinking. The following two paragraphs will explain in more detail what years Prep to 2 and years 3-6 will learn in STEM this term.

Prep – 2
Prep students are continuing to work their way through the design process. This term they will be planning, then constructing a cardboard building of their choice, using Makedo equipment. Prep students will be continually evaluating their building as they work on it and making improvements where necessary. At the end of construction students will be given the opportunity to share their buildings with their peers to receive positive feedback.

Grade 1 and 2 students will be coding with Spheros. Using coding blocks, they will be able to code their Sphero to draw basic shapes and travel through simple mazes set up by students. Students will be coding and creating their own game or animation using the Scratch coding platform.

Grades 3 – 6
This term our middle and senior students will learn to code with three different languages- draw, block and text code. They will learn the different coding languages on various platforms such as Scratch, Sphero Edu and Code.org. By engaging in coding across different platforms, students will be able to find a language that suits their needs and interests.

Students will be given the opportunity to use block code to control the movement of a Sphero (a spherical shaped robot) through mazes that they can construct (using paper, cardboard etc.) Students will be challenged to create their own game or animation by writing the code through the Scratch coding platform. Our students will also be given the opportunity to engage in coding projects online that have been created by kids for kids.
To conclude the term, students will be given time to critically analyse their own coding games or animations before they share them with their peers.

We can't wait to get stuck into another term of STEM education at LLPS. Be sure to check Compass for any STEM related posts. At this stage we are not in need of any more cardboard, but this may change.

Mr. Ben Joustra

ART
In Art this term, classes are extremely busy with collaging and painting. Soon there will be many new art pieces on display from our wonderful artistic students. Please make some time to take a walk down our gallery and the main corridor with your child. Take a look, there will be many creative pieces of artwork on display in our school, of which I am proud of them all.
Parents, please it is imperative your child has an art smock at school please (everyone from 1 to grade 6)—many students do not have one and since we are working with paint, it is unlikely they will stay clean, so make sure a named Art smock gets to your child’s teacher.
This term, Grade Prep students are learning painting techniques like mixing secondary colours from primary colours, fabric painting and changing the way we can use paper by tearing, curling, folding and fringing.
Grade 1 and 2 students are focusing on paper techniques such as concertina, fringing, folding, curling and tearing along with using different joining techniques. There will be many pieces of artwork this term all finishing off with creating a collage bird house and a collage hamburger. I look forward to seeing some fantastic work on display.
Grades 3 and 4 are focusing on water colour techniques by using different textural effects in paint. They will also be learning print making skills of etching and monotone printing and learning about an artistic style called ‘Steampunk’ which they will create a collage using mechanical pieces in a rustic tone.
Grade 5 and 6 students will be creating Asian art more specifically using Chinese brush strokes to create a bamboo painting and print making using radial patterns on a brightly coloured background. Both grades will explore Australian artists. Just wait for how these look – they will be amazing.

Please do not hesitate to come and see your child’s teacher if you have any questions, we are very happy to help.

Ms. Susan Torriero