It’s been an exciting start to the term in Performing Arts.

We have celebrated our Senior School Production ‘Peter Pan’. All of our students had the opportunity to watch this musical, which involved our grade 5/6
students dancing, singing, acting, arranging sets and playing instruments. Weeks of preparation went into the show. Students created choreography, selected music, designed and created sets and backdrops, chose costumes, rehearsed scenes, practised music and songs and worked together to create a wonderful
performance.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the staff and family members who helped make this concert a success. These chances for the children to share their hard work and talents can only happen with a lot of help from our school community.

Classroom music

Foundation:

Our Foundation students have begun to learn about different sections of the orchestra. We have been exploring percussion instruments, by listening and playing along to different rhythms on a variety of tuned and unturned percussion instruments.

1/2:

Students in 1/2 have continued to explore elements of music. Last term, we looked at dynamics and tempo. This term, we have been learning about rhythm and pitch. Students have examined conventional notation, used aural skills and are now applying these skills to rhythms on percussion instruments and playing simple melodies on glockenspiels.

3/4:

Students in 3/4 have begun to prepare for their role in  The Wizard of Oz,  which will be performed in collaboration with students and staff from Thornbury High School. Students have been learning melodies and songs for their part in the chorus.

Students have also been consolidating group performance skills and extending their fluency on the ukulele, learning to play and sing ‘I am Australian’.

5 & 6:

After reflecting on the final performance of Peter Pan, students in grades 5 and 6 will be spending the remainder of the term extending and developing their drama performance skills.

For the grade 5s, this will take the form of creating, performing and recording an advertisement for a product of service.

The grade 6 students will be rehearsing and filming small group plays.

Additional programs

This term we are looking to extend our brass program. On Thursday, Sean and Mark from Thornbury High School gave a brass demonstration to interested students in grades 4 and 5. From those students who registered interest, we will draw names from a hat and the selected students will become part of our Brass program partnership. This involves free lessons and use of an instrument for the rest of 2016.