DATE 11th September

(apologies for the lack of photos... Vanessa thankfully was taking lots for us! And was great to have her visiting today's session.)

Warm Up 

Main Activity (one photo)

Paste your photo here.

Reflection with the students (one photo)

After the session:

Planning with the Teacher
 (refer back to your original Term Plan document, discuss successes, explore challenges and make changes.)

Working with students
 (what is emerging, what is engaging them/not, what’s making them curious.)

Ideas moving forward
 (ideas for next session, future lessons, discussed with teacher, do you need the teacher to do anything before you return.)

Resources
 (do you need anything, who will source it?)

How can you share learning outcomes/stories of transformation with the wider school community (e.g. Connect newsletter, staff meeting, school newsletter, school social media platforms)

Session 15 - DATE 12.9.25

Paste your photo here. Main Activity (one photo)

Paste your photo here. Reflection with the students (one photo)

We presented students with certificates of achievement. Shaking hands and cheering again loudly. It was a wonderful way to end Creative Schools. Session 15 - DATE 12.9.25 90-minute session in the classroom: Warm Up (one photo) Our last day is a day of reflection. We sat and watched a photo compilation from term 2 food markets and term 3 life above and below the Swan River. The students pointed to their work, felt proud and were reminded of all the creative goodness we had experimented with to make meaningful work. They wrote their best moment on postcards and made wishes for future learning…. What about a creative school Camp? Paste y our photo here. Main Activity (one photo) They re-created the Swan River and placed their collaged threatened species and their call for action cards.  Student lined up behind their work, and in the style of a Mexican wave, they called out the action cards while I filmed their learning journey. Well done, guys.. They wanted to cheer at the end.. A job well done! Paste your photo here. Reflection with the students (one photo) We presented students with certificates of achievement. Shaking hands and cheering again loudly. It was a wonderful way to end Creative Schools. After the session: Planning with the Teacher(refer back to your original Term Plan document, discuss successes, explore challenges and make changes.) We had a blast, it was phenomenal!  Working with students(what is emerging, what is engaging them/not, what’s making them curious.) They really engaged well with the Inquiry learning and exploring creative ways to present their ideas. Ideas moving forward(ideas for next session, future lessons, discussed with teacher, do you need the teacher to do anything before you return.) We will work on the PowerPoint together for the reflection event; the students have drafted the words for us! Resources(do you need anything, who will source it?) I will make a start on the PowerPoint, then send it for editing to Nikki. How can you share learning outcomes/stories of transformation with the wider school community (e.g. Connect newsletter, staff meeting, school newsletter, school social media platforms) We will share at the reflection event on the 15th of October.

After the session: Planning with the Teacher

 (refer back to your original Term Plan document, discuss successes, explore challenges and make changes.)

Working with students

 (what is emerging, what is engaging them/not, what’s making them curious.)

Ideas moving forward

 (ideas for next session, future lessons, discussed with teacher, do you need the teacher to do anything before you return.)

Resources

 (do you need anything, who will source it?)

How can you share learning outcomes/stories of transformation with the wider school community (e.g. Connect newsletter, staff meeting, school newsletter, school social media platforms)We will share at the reflection event on the 15th of October.

Warm Up

Main Activity

Reflection with the students

After the session:

Planning with the Teacher
 (refer back to your original Term Plan document, discuss successes, explore challenges and make changes.)

Working with students
 (what is emerging, what is engaging them/not, what’s making them curious.)

Warm Up

Main Activity 

Reflection with the students

After the session:

Working with students

Session 15

DATE 13th September 

Main Activity 

After the session:

Planning with the Teacher
 (refer back to your original Term Plan document, discuss successes, explore challenges and make changes.)

Working with students
 (what is emerging, what is engaging them/not, what’s making them curious.)

Ideas moving forward
 (ideas for next session, future lessons, discussed with teacher, do you need the teacher to do anything before you return.)

Resources
 (do you need anything, who will source it?)

How can you share learning outcomes/stories of transformation with the wider school community (e.g. Connect newsletter, staff meeting, school newsletter, school social media platforms)

Creative Schools Learning Journey - Parents and School Community Showcase: On the evening of Tuesday, 9th September, from 4:30pm to 6pm, I attended Rostrata Primary School for the parent and community showcase, which included a celebration of the Creative Schools learning journey.

The classroom was set up to display students' work, including their Creative Schools folders filled with activities, planning, reflections, and photos. Each student had a QR code on their desk linking to their individual video pitch for the Shark Tank recycled toy project. In addition, the interactive whiteboard was playing the full 40-minute edited video of the Shark Tank session. I had edited this footage in the week leading up to the event and provided the files to Mariya to create the QR codes.

The showcase also included a display of the student-created toys, along with photos of students collaborating with their buddies. During the event, I engaged with parents and Vanessa from FORM to discuss and highlight the students’ work.

The atmosphere was positive and energetic. Students were enthusiastic about showing their work to their families and several spoke to me about the Creative Schools program and the recycled toy project. Mariya expressed her appreciation for my attendance and support during the event, particularly as I was available to answer questions from the school community.

The Five Habits of Learning were also prominently displayed, reinforcing the key values and skills nurtured throughout the project.

This event was perfectly timed to conclude the recycled toy project, as the students had completed their Shark Tank presentations the previous week and the winning student had received their award. We also finalised the next project, with students voting to spend the remaining four sessions creating one-minute films.

Warm Up: 

Today we did a Human Knot warm up activity to kick off the session. I divided students into groups of 4, then later into groups of 8, and instructed them to stand in circles, reach across to hold hands with people not immediately next to them, creating a “knot” of interlinked arms. The task was to untangle themselves without letting go of hands, stepping over or under arms as needed. The key rules: no dropping hands, work together, communicate, problem‑solve. 

Only one group of students communicated clearly, listened to each other, and moved carefully, bending up and down so others could untangle. They showed teamwork and patience, which helped them succeed. However, most of the other groups struggled. Instead of listening or working together calmly, they yelled over each other, pulled and jerked arms, and even fell over. While the game was energetic and fun at moments, it clearly highlighted that many students still have a way to go when it comes to teamwork, positive communication, and showing kindness in challenging situations. This activity was a useful reminder that building these skills takes time and practice.

Main Activity:

For the main activity, students were invited to determine the rules and structure of a one-minute filmmaking task that we’ll complete over the final sessions. I began by showing an example of a mini-documentary and explained how something similar could be created at school with minimal resources, for example, just a chair and two actors. This helped students visualise what was possible, even with limited time and equipment. From there, I shifted the focus to them, asking a wide range of questions about how they would like to approach the filmmaking process, from planning and roles to content. They responded with curiosity and enthusiasm, asking plenty of questions in return. I repeatedly answered, “It’s up to you,” which at first surprised them, but eventually sparked excitement as they realised they were truly in control. The only two non-negotiables were that each film crew must have no more than three members and that editing would be done using iMovie. Everything else, genre, style, filming method, even how to manage roles, was to be defined by the students themselves. It was exciting to see them shift from passive participants to creative decision-makers, taking ownership of their learning in a way that felt meaningful. Some students worked through the questions I had suggested on the board, some jumped straight into writing a script, and others spent most of the 20 minutes talking about who would do what. One group even started filming! It was interesting to watch how each group handled the situation. A couple of groups asked whether they actually needed a script, which led Mariya and me to share our view that, in order for everyone in the group to understand the concept and contribute effectively, some form of script was important. After that initial planning time, I showed the students a basic example of how a script is written. To make it more relatable and light-hearted, I told them a joke and modelled how it could be turned into a one-minute film. This seemed to clarify things, and we then gave them another 5–10 minutes to start shaping their own scripts.

Reflection: 

At the end of the session, we took 10 minutes to reflect as a group and discuss the Five Habits of Learning. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to wrap our sticks. Today, I realised how important reflection time is for students. Watching the Human Knot activity and the group planning, it’s clear some students struggle with collaboration under pressure. Having time to reflect and digest the experience (not just what they’re creating) is important.

Planning With The Teacher:

Mariya noticed that some students struggled with collaboration this week. She felt both hesitant and excited as she watched them break into small groups, set their own rules, and plan their films. Observing how each group handled the situation was very interesting, and we had many conversations about it. Mariya may try this approach again in the future.

Working With The Students:

The students were extremely excited by the opportunity to create their own rules, tasks, and roles for filming a one-minute film. Some took a more traditional approach, brainstorming roles and tasks on butcher’s paper and working through script ideas step by step. Other groups took more unconventional paths. One group didn’t write anything down at all, choosing instead to let one member lead with their idea. Another group jumped straight into filming. Each group believed their approach was the best and felt proud of their contributions and coordination. The energy and excitement around making the film are high, especially with the deadline approaching fast. I can’t wait to see how the students react at the screening.

Ideas Moving Forward:

Since the toy project took much longer than expected, we were running out of time when we decided to let the students choose the final Creative Schools project, with only four sessions remaining. Because of this, we didn’t spend time connecting it to the curriculum or thoroughly planning the project. The students are truly in control, and each session I try to introduce new filmmaking knowledge that they can choose to use, or not, as they see fit.

These four weeks may result in some fantastic one-minute films, or some that aren’t as strong, but what I expect to emerge is fun, creativity, and a growing passion for filmmaking, regardless of the final product’s quality.

As we wrap up, I’ll need to update the Creative Schools plan. Also, this year has been particularly challenging due to illness. Myself, my children, Mariya, and her students have all been affected. Coordinating sessions that work for everyone has been stressful. I’m not sure if this is something that can be improved going forward, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.

Session 15 - 15.9.25

90-minute session in the classroom:

Warm Up 

Main Activity (one photo)

Paste your photo here. Reflection with the students

 After the session: Planning with the Teacher

Working with students

Ideas moving forward

Resources

How can you share learning outcomes/stories of transformation with the wider school community (e.g. Connect newsletter, staff meeting, school newsletter, school social media platforms) 

We will show the PowerPoint at parents' night

Warm Up: Today's session began with a warm up exercise called Back-to-Back Drawing. In this activity, students paired up and sat back-to-back. One partner was given a simple image, which they had to describe verbally while the other partner attempted to draw it on a whiteboard based solely on the description, without seeing the image. The students completed three rounds of this exercise, and it was well-received. The activity encouraged active listening and clear communication, which were areas of difficulty in the previous session. It was encouraging to see students engaging more thoughtfully with one another, demonstrating improved collaboration and an awareness of how to communicate effectively.

Main Activity: Last week, students began working on their One-Minute Film project. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the first filmmaking session earlier this week due to a family illness. Mariya kindly contacted me to ask for an overview of what I had planned, and then went ahead and delivered the session in my absence.

By the time I returned today, students had completed three 50-minute filmmaking sessions. During this time, they learned about shot sizes, on-set filming calls, and how to use iPads effectively to capture high-quality footage. This included guidance on filming short clips, using natural lighting, and recording clear audio. The students then worked in groups of three to write their scripts, bring in costumes, and begin filming their projects.

When I arrived today, I delivered a 15-minute mini-lesson on basic editing techniques and answered questions as students continued working. It was clear that they have made significant progress on their films. They are highly motivated and showing strong teamwork as they work towards completing their one-minute films.

An interesting observation Mariya and I made was that in a few groups, one student naturally took on a leadership role, which sometimes led to the other group members having less input. While leadership is valuable, we both felt it would be beneficial to explore what effective collaboration looks like, so that all students feel they have a voice in the creative process.

Reflection: During today’s session, we had some valuable discussions around collaboration and touched on several of the Five Habits of Learning. However, once again we ran out of time to complete the full 15-minute reflection as planned. To help address this, Mariya kindly offered to speak with the students after lunch about the Five Habits, and supported them in wrapping their yarn sticks in the colours that represented the habit they felt they used most during the session. Students have also finished the origami lucky stars reflection.

Planning with the Teacher: With only two sessions remaining, we're aiming to make the most of our time together. In our next session, I will start by integrating the five habits of learning into the warm-up activity to help set the tone and maintain a consistent focus throughout the lesson.

Next lesson, students will continue editing their one-minute films, and in the final session, we’ll hold a class screening and small celebration to recognise their achievements during Creative Schools. Mariya will be printing certificates, and I’ll bring juice and popcorn to mark the occasion.

Working with the Students: Students are highly motivated and showing strong teamwork as they work towards completing their one-minute films. They are taking the task seriously and many have organised make-up, costumes and props.

Warm Up: Today's session began with students wrapping their yarn sticks in the colour linking to the Five Habits of Learning they had used most during our last Creative Schools session. This served as a calming activity after recess. Following this, I led a warm up exercise I developed to reinforce the Five Habits of Learning. First, we revisited the habits using the classroom poster as a prompt. Then, I asked students to take out their whiteboards and markers. I displayed a series of images and asked students to write down which habit they thought was being demonstrated in each image. After ten seconds, students held up their boards and I walked around reading out some of their responses. I deliberately avoided saying whether their answers were “right” or “wrong,” allowing for open-ended thinking. A few images in, I prompted them to explain why they chose a particular habit. It was fascinating to hear their reasoning and interpretations.

Main Activity: Today, I ran a quick session on how to export films and save them to Mariya’s drive on her computer. Afterwards, Mariya and I set a deadline: all students were required to finish filming and editing their one-minute films by 12:15p.m.

We reminded students about the importance of collaboration — what it means to work effectively in a group of three, and how to share both the filming and editing responsibilities. Some students struggled with this, tending to dominate the editing process, while others collaborated seamlessly. In some groups, members took on different roles — one working on titles, another on sound effects or music, and another on editing the footage. In other groups, all members edited their own version of the same footage, which allowed for varied creative interpretations.

By the deadline, nearly every group had completed and exported their films. Mariya was particularly impressed by the students’ focus, sense of urgency, and ability to meet the deadline. She also noted how engaged and self-directed the students were throughout the process. She mentioned she’d like to give students more autonomy in future activities, after seeing how capable they were today and during this project.

Reflection: At the end of the session, we revisited the Five Habits of Learning. Students added another colour to their yarn sticks to represent the habit they felt they had used most during the session. When I asked a few students to explain their choice, responses included: persistence, for completing and editing their film on time; collaboration, for effective teamwork; and imagination, for writing scripts and creatively assembling footage. Overall, today’s lesson was very successful. The students were highly engaged, met expectations, and demonstrated genuine learning. I had a great time and it will be sad to say goodbye to the class next week.

Planning with the Teacher: Next week, we’ll revisit our human wheel warm-up activity (conducted in session one), which the students are eager to try one last time. It will be interesting to observe how they approach the challenge with a focus on collaboration and persistence. Will they be able to successfully build and complete the wheel out of newspaper? And will they manage to get it across the basketball court? This activity should provide a great opportunity to reflect on the habits they've developed over the term.

Our main activity will be the screening of their one-minute films, complete with popcorn and juice to create a celebratory atmosphere. As the screenings likely won’t take too long, I’ll plan an additional short activity or a structured reflection to wrap up the filmmaking process—perhaps a discussion or feedback circle where students can share their thoughts on the experience.

To close the session (and the term), we’ll do one final yarn stick wrap. Students will add their last colour to reflect the habit they used most during the final activities. Afterwards, we’ll tie all the sticks together to create a collaborative hanging piece for the classroom. I’ll display some visual examples to inspire the students.

Working with the Students: A few students have approached me this term to say they’re sad that Creative Schools is ending. From what I’ve observed, I believe the majority have genuinely enjoyed both projects. I've also noticed a shift in their attitude toward the warm ups — they’ve become more eager to participate together. They’re less hesitant to hold hands and more comfortable working with classmates of the opposite sex or outside their usual friend groups. They’re beginning to treat each other with respect, regardless of personal feelings. This marks a significant change from the first day I stepped into the classroom.