Term 3 Specialist Curriculum Newsletter
This post will provide you with information about your children’s upcoming teaching and learning experiences for all Specialist subjects in Term 3.
There is also plenty of additional information provided via Compass throughout the school year, so please make a point of touching base regularly.

Visual Art
We are back for term three! After a two-week break, it is great to see all of the students again in Art. We are very excited about the artwork that will be produced this term. This term our student’s artwork is on display throughout the corridors. It would be wonderful for you to have a conversation with your child about their artwork.
It is really important that all Grade’s 1 – 4 students have an art smock or a large old T-shirt that goes over their school uniform as we are using various paints and glues, print making and creating constructions.

Grade Six students start the term off big by being part of the International Peace Poster Competition, run through the Lions Club of Lara. Students will be creating posters based on the theme “Dare to Dream”. What a great way to give our students a chance to express their visions of peace and inspire the world through art. This Art competition happens each year and students design their own poster. We will keep you informed through Compass with photos of their work. We are sure you will agree that our school has very talented students.

Grade Five students will be learning about graphic design as a functional art form. Graphic designers use words and pictures in such a way to produce a message. We look forward to seeing some inventive ideas using everyday foods. They will be tapping into sustainability and creating art around questions such as ‘what environmental issues are present in your community?’ and ‘what environmental issues are important to you?’ We will also finish off the term with construction. Many creative pieces of Art will be on their way!

The Grade Three and Four students are learning to use textile techniques to create different soft sculptures. There will be a few sculptures coming home ready for a special place. Students will also learn the art of weaving.

Grade One and Two students will also be moving onto learning about textiles – fabrics and threads. Activities for Grades 1 and 2 will focus on learning to weave, thread and tie needles, sew, and the art of wrapping wool to create patterns.

In term 3, Preps will be focussing on Indigenous Art, print making and construction. They will explore a few different ways to do this, including threading, texture rubbings and using different printing tools for stamping. Preps will also learn ways to join different materials as well as developing their understanding that glues can be used for different purposes.

Your Art teachers,
Ms. Torriero, Mr. Turner, Mrs. McKenzie, Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Venn, Mrs. Millard

STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics)
Students have begun Term 3 with a high level of engagement and enthusiasm in STEM, not to mention the wonderful behaviour and excellent level of respect demonstrated for teachers, equipment and each other.

Prep students are focusing on using a range of equipment to facilitate design and construction activities. Equipment students are using includes Linking Cubes (connecting blocks), Duplo Early Structures, Marble Race, Connector Shapes and also exploratory activities involving magnets. Students will have the opportunity to complete commercial design activities and also to come up with their own designs before attempting to construct them. Students will attempt to address design parameters including aspects such as length and height of their proposed construction as well as constraints involving the amount of shapes / blocks etc they are able to use in order to grow their problem-solving abilities.

Students in Grades One and Two are undertaking the challenge of designing and constructing ‘2D Shape Robots’. Utilising our ‘Makedo’ equipment – which are tools used to cut, join and build things out of cardboard, students must build a robot made entirely out of 2D shapes. The focus and challenge for these students is to follow their design plan. Once robots are constructed, we will analyse them against the original designs, as well as create graphs which depict the amount of each shape contained in the robots. Particularly proficient robot builders will also receive time to decorate their robots!

Grade Three and Four students are engaged this term in a range of STEM related activities including:
-Coding on the platform ‘Scratch’, whereby they program sprites to move around against a backdrop, talking to other sprites, changing their appearance, telling stories, as well as performing a multitude of other coding-based functions.
-Construction with Meccano. In these sessions students at first attempt to complete commercial design challenges in order to learn how the resource operates. As students master the skills required they become free to design their own constructions before analysing the feasibility of their designs.
-Coding via the use of Spheros and the ‘Sphero Edu’ application. Students play ‘Sphero Bowling’, where they compete against a partner to knock over the skittles through proficient, skilful coding – an activity where ‘good sports-person-ship can be exercised.

In Grades Five and Six, students are using the coding platform ‘Scratch’ to complete the challenging task of creating a ‘Digital Storybook’. These students must first storyboard an engaging narrative which is based on either one of their own pieces of writing, a well-known fairytale, or a simple children’s story, before recreating that story through code on Scratch. They will employ backdrops, sprites, dialogue and voice overs as well as a range of other high-level coding skills to bring their stories to life. Stories will be shared at the conclusion of the unit. Particularly proficient coders may even gain the opportunity to create an interactive game late in the term!

Your STEM Teachers,
Mr. Hill, Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Lamont, Mrs. Millard

Physical Education
Term 3 is shaping up to be a very active time for your child! Life Education will begin on Tuesday August 1^st for all students from Prep to Grade 4 in the school library and the following programs will be taught at each level:

Prep – Grade 1 - Harold’s Friendships
After building a model spaceship at school, Harold and his friends Boots and Red, venture into an imaginary world in outer space.

Grade 2 – Growing Good Friends
Harold tries to figure out what to give his grandma for her birthday. His friends Boots and Red step in and offer some good ideas.

Grade 3 - Grade 4 – BE CYBERWISE
This module focuses on cybersafety, cyber ethics and building positive relationships with friends online and offline. The students explore how technology and the online world can be positive, but also the risks that can be involved.

This term, Grade Prep to Twos will continue to work on different fundamental motor skills and be introduced to the basic skills of gymnastics, such as balancing and rolling. Grade Three to Six students will develop their skills in the areas of ultimate frisbee, rugby, tennis and gymnastics. All students at each year level will continue to further learn, develop and consolidate team-work and sportsmanship when participating and co-operating in PE. Please continue encouraging your child to participate in Physical Activity and to do their personal best at school and at home.

A ‘Softball Clinic’ and a ‘Healthy Heroes Clinic’ will be conducted with the Grade Threes and Fours in the gym and on the school oval.

District Athletics will be happening on Tuesday August 9^th for selected students from Grades Three to Six at Goldsworthy Reserve Corio. We wish all the athletes the best of luck!
Keep an eye on Mr Moylan’s Weekly Wrap for a report on some of the clinics which will be happening over Term 3.
It will be a term full of your child learning new skills while having fun and enjoying themselves.

STAY FIT AND HEALTHY
Please if you have any concerns or questions don’t hesitate to contact Mrs. Dowling.

Your P.E Teachers,
Mrs Dowling, Ms. Lamont, Mr. Turner & Mrs. Millard

Music
This term in Music we will be exploring our voices as instruments.

In Prep we encourage joining in, moving to the music, and learning some funny songs such as “On Top of Spaghetti” and “Lemonade, Crunchy Ice”. We are also learning to listen and sing with the tune, as well as learning and remembering lyrics.

Grades One and Two are also learning correct voice production, and some songs such as “Black Socks” and “We are children of the World” which celebrate diversity.

All grades are enjoying expanding their song repertoires and are learning to play tunes and rhythms on chimes, bells, xylophones and marimbas.
Older grades have had fun playing and singing Aussie rock classic “Beds are Burning” on classroom instruments and learning the basics of Rap music. Students will compose and perform their own rhythms using plastic bags as instruments in a ‘junk band’ (also known as ‘stomp’) inspired assignment later in the term.

Every Friday at lunchtime in the music room Mrs. McKenzie runs a multi-age ‘Sing Club’ which all are welcome to attend.

Performances at assembly are fun and exciting, we will see a number of them this term!

Your Music Teachers,
Mrs. McKenzie, Mr. Turner & Mrs. Venn