Loving God, loving others, loving learning
Wellbeing and Mental Health
Wellbeing has long been central to the ethos and priorities of SCS. Following the government’s increased support of wellbeing in schools, SCS was an appreciative recipient of additional Wellbeing and Mental Health government funding. These funds have been used to employ a Wellbeing Officer who is charged with developing a whole school approach to wellbeing and mental health. The funds are also being utilised to develop a parent community support group aimed at increasing parent literacy skills and building positive parent-child relationships. The goal is to create an inviting, safe and sustainable learning environment in which parents can engage in literacy, social and personal development; this will empower parents to be active participants in their children’s learning and in the wider community.
Year 5/6 Camp: Sovereign Hill
The Year 5/6 class recently attended their biannual camp to Sovereign Hill. The students attended the Ballarat Benevolent Asylum Ragged School, which immersed them in the hardships of 1850s life on the Victorian goldfields. After learning about the difficulties of daily life, and discovering how strict the schooling could be, the students developed a greater appreciation for modern times.
Puppet Project-Based Learning
During Term 2, the Year 5/6 class undertook project-based learning focussed on producing a puppet show. The show was based on the biblical story of Joseph, with the goal of presenting the show to their fellow students at Whole School Worship. To create the show, the class divided themselves into teams, each of which led one aspect of the project. The teams consisted of performers, set and prop design, scriptwriters, puppet design, technology, and stage construction. Students were tasked with setting a long-term SMART goal which would be achieved by the performance. They then devised smaller, short-term goals to manage their time and efforts effectively.
Each team had significant responsibilities. The technology team had to learn how to use and manage microphone headsets connected to a PA system; the stage team created multiple designs and had to collaborate with the performers to ensure the dimensions were suitable; the script writers had to research and create an interesting and thoughtful script that would be suitable to perform as a puppet show. The performers had to rehearse their lines and movements while collaborating with the creative vision of the scriptwriting team; the puppet design team had to create designs and clothing that suited the theme of the performance; the set and prop design team had to trial several ideas, but ultimately decided on a digital set created through Microsoft PowerPoint. There was robust discussion both within and between teams throughout the project, which resulted in a performance they were proud to share with the rest of the school.
Harmony Day
During Term 1, the Year 5/6 students investigated First Nations cultures, including some of the issues they face today. The students went on an excursion to the headquarters of 'Clothing the Gaps', an Aboriginal social enterprise, to ask questions about their apparel and their inspiration. Through this experience they discovered that ‘wearing your values’ can be a great way to start an important discussion. As the demographic of SCS is very multicultural, the Year 5/6 students had the idea of designing their own apparel to represent the school’s culture and ‘wear our values’. Students invited an experienced graphic designer into the classroom to learn about what makes a good logo. They then held a competitive logo design competition, working in teams to create logo and apparel designs for Harmony Day. After voting for their favourite, the winning design was printed on T-shirts for the class to wear proudly.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day
SCS celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day on Friday 4 August. A team of volunteers from cohealth’s Sunshine branch organised and led several activities for our students. The students were delighted to participate in a variety of art and sport activities which raised awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. A highlight of the day was the didgeridoo presentation by Uncle Michael, who not only entertained the students but provided fascinating information about the creation and design of his instruments.
