Specialist Classes

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Visual Arts - Junior

Performing Arts - Junior

Performing Arts Update – Foundation

This term so far in Foundation Performing Arts we have been exploring drama and movement. We have been working on the following learning goals:

• I can use movement and dance to explore characters.

• I can copy different facial expressions.

• I can explore ideas for characters through dramatic play.

To help us practise these skills, we have been acting out the story of The 3 Robot Pigs and the Big Bad Robot Pig! Through dramatic play, students have used their bodies and faces to bring each character to life. They’ve been exploring how different movements and expressions can show emotions and personality, and they are building confidence in performing and sharing their ideas.

We have also been learning simple dance moves that express the emotions of the characters. The same dance steps are being explored in different ways to reflect different feelings—such as happy, frightened, or angry—depending on the character. This helps students connect movement and emotion while having fun and being creative!

Performing Arts Update – Level 1

In Performing Arts, students have been exploring characters and emotions through movement, facial expressions, and voice, using the Zones of Regulation to help express different feelings.

Curriculum Links / I Can Statements:

• I can become different characters in a story.

• I can use a range of facial expressions to show different emotions.

• I can move in response to different music.

• I can use different gestures and body language to show how a character may move.

• I can perform simple dance sequences with a good sense of beat.

• I can make up my own ways of moving to the music.

Students have played movement games, explored animal characters, responded to emotional music, and created short dance pieces. In our “Sad Sheep” scene, students used slow movements and droopy expressions to show sadness, then reflected on how their bodies showed emotion. It’s been a fun and creative way to build emotional awareness and performance skills!

Performing Arts Update – Level 1: Zoo Animals & Emotions

In our recent Performing Arts sessions, students have been combining drama, dance, and emotional understanding through a fun zoo animal theme, supported by the Zones of Regulation.

Lesson 1 – Meet the Zoo Animals & EmotionsStudents were introduced to the play structure and characters. They explored how different zoo animals (penguins, monkeys, elephants, lions) might feel and move, using their body, face, and voice to express emotions. Through movement activities and role-play, they discussed how each animal might act depending on its feelings.

I Can Statements:

• I can use body, face and voice to show how a character feels

• I can perform as different characters

• I can explore how music and movement connect to emotions

Lesson 2 – Learning the Zoo Feeling DanceStudents learned a shared 8-move “Zoo Feeling Dance” and practised each move in different emotional styles—like a sad penguin or frightened monkeys. Through dance, they explored how movement and emotion connect, then reflected on which moves best represented their character.

I Can Statements:

• I can use movement to show how a character feels

• I can perform a dance that expresses an idea or emotion

• I can move to music confidently and creatively

These lessons have supported students in developing emotional awareness, character expression and creative movement—all while having lots of fun!

End Of Semester 1 Update

Foundation Performing Arts – End of Semester 1 Statement

This semester in Music, Foundation students have explored their voices, bodies, and instruments to express themselves and respond to music in creative ways. They are learning to use their singing voices confidently, singing simple songs and matching pitch using solfa (so, la, and mi). They are also developing the confidence to sing to others and move expressively while singing.

Students have been building their sense of beat and rhythm through body percussion, movement, and untuned percussion instruments. They can copy and create simple rhythms, play a steady beat and enjoy taking turns leading and following rhythmic patterns with their peers. Activities like stamping, clapping and playing percussion have supported their growing understanding of musical elements.

They are also learning to listen actively to a range of music and are beginning to share their own opinions—expressing what they enjoy or find interesting about the sounds they hear. They have identified whether the songs and/or music is fast, slow, loud, soft through games and other activities.

It has been wonderful to watch the children’s confidence grow as they explore music & dance in joyful and collaborative ways.

In Dance, students have been learning to move to the beat in a variety of ways using actions like stamping, swaying, jumping, and turning. They have copied & created simple dance sequences, showing coordination, memory and expression. Many students have shown great confidence by performing their dances to peers and they are developing the ability to reflect on performances, expressing what they enjoyed and how the dance made them feel.

It has been a joyful and creative semester, full of movement, music, and self-expression!

Level 1

Level 1 (Year 1) – Performing Arts End of Semester 1 Statement: Music and Dance

This semester in Performing Arts, Year 1 students have joyfully explored music and dance through singing, movement and creative play. In Music, students have been developing their ability to sing in tune with others and keep a steady beat using body percussion and simple instruments. They are learning to listen carefully to music and can clap repeating patterns they hear. Students are beginning to describe the music they listen to, sharing their thoughts and feelings about different styles and sounds.

In Dance, students have responded to music using locomotor and non-locomotor movements, exploring how their bodies can move in different ways.

· Locomotor movements are movements that travel through space. These include actions like walking, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, galloping, sliding, or leaping — basically, any movement where the body moves from one place to another.

· Non-locomotor movements are movements that stay in one spot. These include bending, twisting, swaying, stretching, pushing, or pulling — movements done without moving from your position.

They have practised following simple dance sequences and performed with growing confidence and a good sense of timing. Students are also developing the language to describe a dance and share what they noticed or enjoyed.

Semester 1 was a vibrant and expressive semester, full of music, movement and imagination!

Level 2 (Year 2) – Performing Arts End of Semester 1 Statement: Music and Dance

In Year 2 Performing Arts, students have extended their skills in both music and dance through active participation and performance. In Music, they have demonstrated growing control of their voices, singing in tune with their classmates and showing confidence in keeping the beat during songs and games. They can clap and replicate rhythmic patterns and are developing their ability to describe and reflect on music, using musical vocabulary to talk about what they hear.

In Dance, students have worked collaboratively together to practise and perform short group dance sequences, using both locomotor and non-locomotor movements to express ideas. They have shown strong awareness of timing and beat and performed for the camera with confidence. Students are increasingly able to describe and interpret dance performances, noticing movement qualities and expressing opinions.

Year 2 students have shown creativity, coordination, and confidence across all areas of the Performing Arts during Semester 1.

Performing Arts - Senior

3-6 Performing Arts

Term 3 is here and we have lots of exciting things happening in middle and senior school in the next coming weeks. We will be starting our drama units across all year levels. For the Grade 3’s, this is their first introduction to middle school drama and they’ll be learning lots of new drama techniques, as well as fun drama games and activities, while the Grade 4’s will be consolidating their knowledge from last year and building their drama skill set. The Grade 5&6’s will be focusing on improvisation within drama while completing dramatic role play advertisements and whole class play scripts.

Dance Club will continue this term for Grade 3 & 4 students for just a couple more weeks, run by my four amazing Performing Arts Captains.

Week 1 of this term at the Friday, July 25th assembly, we saw our outstanding dance performances, finally, go ahead! The weather held out and we were all treated to the four amazing routines from our middle school and senior school classes.

I hope everyone enjoyed the dance performances! I am SO proud and impressed with each student who got up there and danced in front of such a large audience. It was amazing to see the different outfits and costumes some students took time and effort in putting together. The vibe and energy for each dance was absolutely amazing. The dances from my perspective, looked incredible, I’m super proud of how they all turned out.

Thank you to all family members who came out to see the routines and to the rest of the school - students and teachers - for also being in the audience and cheering along the students! Nothing like an afternoon of Performing Arts to bring us all together! A big well done to my four superstar Performing Arts Captains for hosting the dance afternoon!

Below are some photos I snapped of some students before the performances. If you have any of the actual dancing of the students and you don’t mind sharing them with me, please send them through to me at; christine.jedrys@education.vic.gov.au

If you would like any copies of the ones I have shared here, also email me and I can share the original copy with you directly!

Thank you,

Ms Jedrys