Specialist Newsletter Term 4

In this Newsletter:

Overview P.1

Visual Art P.2

Music P.3

Languages-Mandarin P.4

Physical Education P.5

Advanced Maths P.6

Multimedia P.7

IMPORTANT DATES:11th October - 12th of December

After School Chinese

19th October - Senior Choir

performs at Woolworths in The

Glen.

P-3 swimming

11th October to 20th 3rd Nov, 10th Nov, 17th Nov, 24thNov, 1st Dec, 8th Dec.Interschool sport-

20th October Softball finals (girls) Venue: Waverley Softball

Centre

• Cricket Gala Day-Friday 27 October Jells Park

We trust our wonderful GWPS community have had a restful Term

Three holiday, and are eager to begin the final term of the year with what is

promising to be a term of impactful learning opportunities provided by our

highly motivated Specialist Team.

Before you view our Term 4 Specialist learning, we would like to take this

opportunity to reflect on some of the amazing learning achieved in Term 3:

-The radio group have continued developing and improving their morning

breakfast show.

-The School band, Junior Choir and Senior Choir have completed beautiful

performances at the school concert.

- In Chinese, students participated in the annual Chinese writing and tracing

Character competition.

- Over forty students entered the National Water Week Poster Competition.

Please take the time to read our Specialist Newsletter where you will discover

what your child will be learning in the various Specialist classes this term.

Thank you,

The Specialist Team

Year 3 (Levels 3)The Level 3 students will create a robot made up of recycledobjects. Students will gain knowledge in solid constructiontechniques, design and creativity.Year 4 (Level 4)After initial experimentation, our Level 4 students will begiven a fan to create an ornate Chinese design consisting ofa cherry blossom tree and bird.Year 5 (Level 5)Complimenting the ‘Change Detectives’ unit of inquiry, ourYear 5 students will produce their own unique artworkdepicting a segment of an abstract machine, whilstsimultaneously ensuring that it will connect with otherstudents' artworks. Ultimately, each class will produce acollaborative ‘megamachine’ !Year 6 (Level 6)After completing their photo-realistic drawings, studentswill examine Picasso through the lens of hismain influence,Einstein. Their learning of this will be expressed in the formof a ‘Cubist’ artwork. This learning task is intended tocompliment the ‘It’s Electrifying’ unitof inquiry.

Advanced Art Classes:Our fantastic Foundation students will be painting designs on our new cubby house. They will begin by inspecting the cubby house, devise design concepts, then

implement their ideas.

Prep (Foundation)With the exploration of light being a major focus intheir classroom learning this term, learners willexperiment and explore the relationship that light haswithin Art. They will begin by creating a cellophaneartwork, and then explore the nature of photographythrough the use of sun-sensitivepaper.Year 1 (Level 1)Complimenting the unit of inquiry ‘Water Works’,students will use watercolour paint to create fish. Thetask will initially be highly scaffolded, but as studentsmove up the gradual release of responsibility, they willrely less on templates, and more on their drawing skillsto delicately sketch tiny fish, and then very subtly paintthem.Year 2 (Levels 2)Year 2 students will explore printmaking, combinedwith pattern making. They will add die to bubbles tocreate colourful bubbles. They will then use the bubblesto create a bubble print on paper. Once dry they willutilize the print to create patterns.

TERM 4 VISUAL ARTAfter School Art Classes

New Star Art School arecontinuing afterschool artclasses throughout the term.There are 2 art classes, F-2. &Years 3-6.Where: F-2: Art Room $580

3-6: 1SR (next door to the Art Room)When: Throughout the termevery Wednesday from 3:45-5:15.For more information pleasecontact Yaping on 0417 104975 or e-mailyaping.jiang@gmail.com

Art DisplaysBe sure to regularly look for

new displays in the main corridor, or on display boards, around the school showing the students’ fantastic learning!

It was wonderful to witness our fantastic GWPS learners eagerly embark on their unique "productive struggles", as they took their Visual Arts learning to a

new level throughout Term 3. Some highlights included our Level 3 and 4 students immersing themselves in three dimensional drawing, our Foundation

students creating Indigenous Australian dot paintings, and our Level 5 students producing black and white photos of subtle beauty. Our whole school concert

was also held in Term 3. It was in this forum that the hard work of the Level 5 and 6 Advanced Art classes displayed the props they made.

I hope you enjoy discovering the impactful learning experiences your child will be absorbed in during Term 4.

Prep (Foundation)This term students will be introduced to crotchets and quavers (ta and ti-ti) in a visual form. Prep students will develop their instrument skills and will play ukulele, keyboard and percussion.

Year 1 (Level 1)Level 1 Students will continue to work with crotchets and quavers (ta and ti-ti). Students will continue to do basic rhythmic transcription and have begun singing in a round. Students will continue to develop their instrumental skills and will focus on ukulele and keyboard.

Year 2 (Level 2)Students in Level 2 will continue to develop their aural skills by transcribing class songs and singing in a round. This term Level 2 will focus on playing keyboard, ukulele and percussion. Students will collaborate with one another and begin to play in small ensembles.

Year 3 (Level 3)Level 3 will be focusing on the 12 Bar Blues. Students will engage in a basic 12 Bar Blues pattern on ukulele, piano, guitar and drums. Students will also collaborate and develop their ensemble skills.

What a fantastic Term 3 we had, with our wonderful students magnificent participation in the School Concert and Victorian State School Spectacular. I hope everyone had a nice holiday is

ready for another exciting term at GWPS.

Music

Year 4 (Level 4)Students in Level 4 will be applying the knowledge they learnt from analysingmusic to their own playing. Level 4 will create a class band and learn songs to together. This term they will focus on

refining their instrumental skills on their chosen instrument.

Year 5 (Level 5)Level 5 are developing their instrumental skills and are being encourage to learn a range of instruments, including guitar,

keyboard, ukulele and percussion. Students are focusing on playing class

songs in preparation for Level 6.

Year 6 (Level 6)Students in Level 6 will refine their instrumental skills by forming and

leading their own small ensembles. Students will collaborate and decide on a

song, source the music and run their own mini-rehearsals.

ChoirThe Junior and Senior Choirs are busy developing their aural skills through

singing solfa and identifying intervals. Both Junior and Senior Choir will begin to learn Christmas carols and will perform

at assembly. Senior Choir has been asked to sing at the opening of the new

Woolworths Store at The Glen. This is a great opportunity for our students to

perform in the community.

BandBand will also learn Christmas Carols for a performance at the end of the year and

are currently working on Let Her Go by Passenger. Students are looking forward

to performing at an assembly soon.

Term Four Language – Mandarin

After School

Mandarin Classes

When: From 11th of

October to 12th of

December, every

Tuesday from 3:30-

4:15.

Who: Students in Year

1 to Year 2

Where: The language

classroom (ELC end)

Chinese Choir

When: Lunch time,

Every Friday

Where: The language

classroom

Welcome back to Term Four, we hope everyone has enjoyed their Term Three holidays. Last term students

were engaged in learning language that was associated with their year level inquiry unit. During Term Three

students participated in the second Chinese Character writing and tracing Competition. This term, students

will be celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival and will begin a new unit of learning associated to their Inquiry

topic. Prep (Foundation)During Term Three Prep students learnt how

to say family member names in Mandarin.

This term they will be focusing on facial and

body features. They will learn the names of

their body and facial features in Mandarin as

well as how to use these new words in

sentences.Year 1 (Level 1)

In Year 1, students have so far learnt to

introduce their family and how to say

names of mini beasts and fruits in Mandarin.

To link in with their Inquiry unit, this term

learners will be learning weather and

seasons.

Year 2 (Level 2)The Year 2s have so far learnt traffic

and transportation vocabulary and

different types of food and community

places in Mandarin. This term students

will be focusing on how to say the names

of toys and tell the time in Mandarin.

Year 3 (Level 3)

Students in Year 3 will be learning about the

topic “Rooms and Furniture”. The students

are going to focus on the names of furniture

in a house in Chinese and also explore the

language of talking about the materials that

make furniture. By the end of this term,

students will be working on a project.

Year 4 (Level 4)

The Year 4 students will be focusing on the topic

“Sport and Leisure activities”. They will be

learning about the names of various types of

sport activities in Chinese and also explore the

vocabularies of forces and motions that are used

for their activities through different learning

tasks. By the end of the unit, they will create a

booklet about their favourite sport and leisure

activities in Mandarin.

Year 5 (Level 5)

Students in Year 5 will be developing

conversational skills by completing a role play

about “At the restaurant” in Mandarin. They

will also focus on the topic “What is in your

fridge?” Student will be learning to describe

things in the fridge with the grammar point

about quantifiers and extending their

vocabularies about food. By the end of this

unit, students will complete a video clip about

“What is in my fridge?” in Mandarin.

Year 6 (Level 6)

Students in Year 6 will be focusing on the

inquiry unit ’It’s Electrifying’. They will be

learning essential facts and extend their

knowledge regarding this topic. They will also

be engaged in speaking and creating simple

Chinese phrases and short sentences, and

practicing their writing in characters. Students

will also complete several inquiry-based

learning tasks using technology.

Physical Education

Prep (Foundation)

Students in Foundation will be looking back on their achievements over the year

and reflecting on new skills learnt and improvements they have made. They will

be working on developing their strength and balance through gymnastics. Students

will also look at developing their kicking skills with a range of small group learning

tasks. In Week 3 students will have the opportunity to attend the Glen Waverley

Primary School Disco for which they have learnt dances to perform on the night.

They will continue to be encouraged to work on cooperating in teams and working

on their fair play.

Year One (Level 1)

Students in Year One will be using their skills learnt to create individual

movement sequences in gymnastics to demonstrate an improvement in their

balance, flexibility and muscle strength. They will also have the opportunity to

reflect on their Fundamental Motor Skills and look at areas for improvement as well

as celebrating their success over the year. They will be introduced to the skill of

punting through lessons based around AFL. We will also be revisiting all skills learnt

over the year for assessment.

Year Two (Level 2)

Year 2 students will be concentrating on evaluating and reflecting on their learning

over the year, looking at aspects they have enjoyed and areas for personal

improvement. They will be developing their own gymnastics sequences of skills learnt to

show muscle strength, flexibility and balance. Students in Year 2 will be

participating in games using skills such as ball bounce, throwing and catching in

basketball and kicking through AFL and soccer. They will continue to be

encouraged to develop their sportsmanship skills as well as listening and following

instructions.

Year Three (Level 3)

Year 3 will begin Term 4 with a

gymnastics unit. This will also incorporate dance. Later in the term

Year 3 will undertake their team and individual beep tests, as well as other

fundamental motor skill testing. This will includie throwing, catching, 2

handed striking and kicking. The students will also engage in

peer assessment using the “60 minute” kids Club assessment app, and

undertake the global 60 minute kids club challenge focusing on healthy

lifestyle.

Important Dates

11th October to 20th

P-3 swimming

3rd Nov, 10th Nov, 17th

Nov, 24thNov, 1st Dec,

8th Dec Interschool

sport-

20th October Softball

finals (girls) Venue:

Waverley Softball

Centre

Dec 18 Community Links

Day Grade 6 Wesley

College

Year Four (Level 4)

Year 4 will be celebrating the Spring term with a unit on striking. This will

include cricket, softball and golf as well as a sporting schools program ond

baseball in association with the Waverley Baseball Club.

Year Five (Level 5)

Term 4 for Level 5 will better prepare them for the sport and P.E requirements

for Level 6. Level 5 will begin the term with cricket and softball, as well as units

in volleyball and our upcoming baseball sporting schools program.

Assessment will be a big part of Term 4, including the beep test, ability test and

flexibility testing as well as Fundamental motor skill testing.

Year Six (Level 6)

Term 4 celebrates personal achievement and seen through individual and team

fitness assessment. This will include assessment of fundamental motor

skills. The Level 6 classes will also participate in a baseball sporting schools

program run through Waverley Baseball Club, Cricket gala day, Division and

Regional athletics and the Summer Interschool Sport program which includes

cricket, t-ball, rounders, Danish Rounders and girls softball.

Advanced MathematicsWelcome to Term 4 Advanced Mathematics. Before I start reporting on Term 4, I would first like to

acknowledge the great commitment our students have shown by participating in the Australian Problem

Solving Mathematics Olympiads (APSMO). The preparation for all five tests, the classroom discussions

which was generated after students learnt their results, and the enthusiasm with which students

participated in extension tasks after each test, has provided a rich learning environment for both students

and myself. The joy with which your children welcome these learning opportunities continuously reminds

me why I chose to become a teacher in the first place.

This term we will also be concentrating on Problem Solving, but will be doing so with a Number and Algebra focus. Year Twos and Threes are currently exploring Screen Time viewing habits. They are collecting their own data on their

screen viewing time and have calculated a sample of weekly screen time habits. They have then used their initial

data and had to discuss how they would be able to express their yearly screen time totals in days and weeks.By asking students, ‘What mathematics do you need to know to be able to work this out?’’ students have to actively

think about what they need to learn and how they are going to work out their problem. We have had many

discussions about being in the ‘Learning Pit,’ but our school emphasis on learning resilience has proven that our students, with support, are able to think their way out of the pit.

Year Fours are completing similar tasks but using A4 paper as a focus. They will be investigating costs, area, mass and volumes associated with paper. Using real world problems means that students are able to see that

mathematics is integral to the way in which we live. These tasks also provide a fun and interesting way of learning.

Year Fives and Sixes will be finishing up on their travel tasks. They have collected costs associated with both a

European and Asian holiday and will be completing cost analyses through investigating the differences in currency

conversions, value for money and budget constraints. I wish you all a very productive and fun filled term.Cath Peters

Advanced Mathematics Teacher

Multimedia & Digital LearningNews Group

Throughout Term Two, small groups of Year 5 & 6 students will continue to have the opportunity to learn about Journalism through a specialised multimedia class. Along with technical instruction on the use of cameras and

editing equipment, this program also includes a meaningful focus on understanding the role of journalism in society,

and developing broader communication skills such as, listening, asking questions, public speaking, finding, analysing and evaluating the quality of information.

Radio & Podcasting GroupIn Radio Group, students’ learning will centre around the key speaking, listening, writing and technological skills needed to produce spoken texts. Learners will develop a concept from an initial idea, through to a published piece

in the form of a Podcast, using the school's radio equipment. They will listen to professional podcasts and unpack

the key structural, audio and spoken elements that make podcasts effective.

Graduation ProductionThis term a group of students are working feverishly and with great enthusiasm to create the video element of the Year 6

Graduation. Students are working through the different stages of filming including writing scripts, auditioning actors, filming scenes and applying post production editing skills to create an amazing video that they cannot wait to share with the

community at Graduation.

Radio CommitteeThe Radio Committee are the team in charge of leading the school’s Radio Station – ‘The Mix’. At the end of Term Two they sought feedback from students across the school and are working towards improving their broadcasts based on responses

they received. As a team, the learners are continuing to increase the engagement of the younger year levels by having them share their learning achievements during lunchtime broadcasts!