Specialist Programs

At Thomastown Meadows Primary School, students participate in a range of engaging specialist programs designed to support creativity, physical development, collaboration and critical thinking. Students attend each specialist area for one hour per week.

Our specialist programs include:

Creative Arts – encouraging creativity, imagination and self-expression through visual arts experiences.
Physical Education – developing teamwork, confidence, coordination and healthy active lifestyles.
Musical Arts – building musical skills, rhythm, performance confidence and appreciation for music.
STEAM – fostering curiosity, problem-solving and innovation through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics learning experiences.

These programs provide students with opportunities to explore their interests, develop new skills and engage in rich learning experiences beyond the classroom.

Creative Arts

At Thomastown Meadows Primary School our Creative Arts program aims to develop student’s creativity by helping them explore and express their ideas. Students use a range of materials and equipment to practise different techniques and learn skills across a range of visual art areas. Students view and respond to both modern and historical art and learn about artists from all around the world. They learn to view and critique their own and others work by using technical and precise vocabulary.

Concepts taught in art:

Drawing
Painting
Print-making
Construction
Clay modelling
Collages
Mixed media work

Our art room is spacious and allows for students to work in collaborative groups. At Thomastown Meadows Primary School we ensure students are engaged in stimulating activities where students can explore their ideas with a range of materials and equipment. Students’ creativity is fostered in a caring and fun environment, which allows students to take risks with their learning and give new concepts and skills a go.

At TMPS our Art program helps students to:

Be creative
Explore ideas
Express their individuality
Think critically
Relax and be mindful
Experiment & explore
Enjoy school in a fun atmosphere
Improve their vocabulary
View the world in a different way
Build their confidence

Physical Education

At Thomastown Meadows we provide a high quality, engaging and fun Health and Physical Education program, promoting maximum participation, building knowledge and developing confidence. We aim to promote the importance of living a healthy and active lifestyle, through learning and developing movement skills, exploring a variety of games and sports, building resilience and fostering a positive attitude.

Our comprehensive program also supports students to build and identify what actions to take towards enhancing their overall health, fitness, safety and wellbeing. We develop students’ knowledge around the value of relationships, the importance of teamwork and cooperation, helping to build a sense of self.

Our ultimate goal at Thomastown Meadows, is to provide our students with the knowledge, skills and opportunities they need to make healthy, safe and active choices, now and into adulthood.

In addition, our school provides various sporting opportunities, competitions and activities throughout the year, such as:

Interschool Summer and Winter sports program for Years 5 and 6, which includes Cricket, Bat tennis, Rounders, Soccer, Volleyball and Netball.
District Athletics carnival for Years 3 to 6, where students have the opportunity to progress to Division, Region and State level.
District Cross Country running carnival for Years 3 to 6, where students have the opportunity to progress to Division, Region and State level.
Swimming programs for Foundation to Year 6 students.
District Hoop Time Basketball Tournament for Years 5 and 6 students.
District Futsal Tournaments for Years 5 and 6 students
Access to State level selection in a range of sports through School Sport Victoria, including multiclass athletes. Visit ssv.vic.edu.au
A range of incursions from a variety of sporting organisations, including AFL Victoria, Football Victoria, and Tennis Australia.

We provide our school community with a range of active experiences and opportunities to allow our families to connect, build school pride and promote inclusivity. Some of these events include our House Athletics Carnival, School Fun Run and Jump Rope for Heart fundraisers.

Musical Arts

At Thomastown Meadows Primary School, the Musical Arts program, which consists of both the Music and Dance curriculum, encourages students to explore sound, movement, performance, and creative expression. Students from Foundation to Year 6 participate in weekly Musical Arts lessons. Through singing, playing instruments, movement, and the use of digital music tools, students develop a broad understanding of how music and dance are created and performed. They listen and respond to works from different times, places, and cultures, building their ability to talk about the performing arts using accurate and expressive vocabulary. Students are supported to think creatively, make artistic choices, and deepen their appreciation of the arts as both performers and audience members.

Concepts taught in Music:

Beat and rhythm
Pitch and melody
Dynamics and expression
Form and structure
Playing tuned and untuned percussion instruments
Learning to play the keyboard
Music notation
Composition and improvisation
Listening and responding

Concepts taught in Dance:

Exploring and creating movement sequences
Safe dance practices
The elements of dance (body, space, time, dynamics and relationships)
Expressing ideas, stories, and emotions through movement
Choreographing short routines
Performing with confidence and control
Responding to dance from various cultures and time periods

Our dedicated music and dance space is designed to give students the opportunity to experiment, collaborate, and experience the performing arts in a variety of ways. Lessons are active and engaging, offering students the chance to work with instruments, movement activities, and digital technologies. The program nurtures confidence, curiosity, and a willingness to attempt new skills, helping students grow as young musicians and dancers.

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics)

At Thomastown Meadows Primary School, we are proud to offer our students the opportunity to engage in an exciting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program.

Once a week, beginning in their Foundation year, students learn STEM, as a specialist subject. They are introduced to a range of scientific knowledge, concepts, skills and equipment. Each year, students cover four different areas of science: Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth/Space Science. Within each unit, they complete a hands-on investigation related to the topic they have learned.

As an optional extra, we also have STEAM Club once a week. In this time slot, students participate in challenges that are designed to encourage creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration. Activities will vary from week to week, and could include anything from making parachutes, slime, volcanoes, rockets, flying a drone or even racing balloon rockets!

Science is everywhere in our lives so we focus on the familiar and everyday objects around us to engage the students in their learning. At our school, we are very fortunate to have some specialised scientific equipment. That said, many of the resources we use can often be found at home or are readily available in a supermarket or discount shops. Don't be surprised if your child comes home and wants to show you how to blow up a balloon without using their mouth; asks to make a cloud in a jar; explains to you what living things need to grow; or make suggestions to live more sustainably and help our planet.

In our pursuit to live and learn more sustainably, we aim to use recycled resources whenever possible. We therefore welcome and encourage our families to continually check in with us, should they have any materials or resources that they may wish to donate so that they may be reused in creative and meaningful ways. We also welcome community member who have a scientific background to come and share their experiences and knowledge with our students.