Specialist Classes

Performing Arts

I would just like to say the BIGGEST thank you to the entire ENPS community for your love and support for our Grade 5/6 Production of the Wizard of Oz that was last Thursday. 

By all accounts, it was a resounding success. The vibe and energy on stage and backstage before the show was electric. All the students involved did a phenomenal job and I’m so immensely proud of each and every one of them. Special mention and shout out to the cast, who have spent a better half of a term and a half learning their lines and songs. I’m sure you all agree, we have an insane amount of talent at this school!

The classes were also outstanding and I appreciate all their hard work and efforts these past few months.

It is truly an honour to be able to put on these productions. It’s the favourite part of my job as a Performing Arts teacher. I’m so lucky to be supported by the incredible leadership team and staff here at ENPS, I couldn’t have done it without them. 

Keep an eye out for my photo wall of production photos that will be put up on display outside the Performing Arts room, in the next coming weeks!!

The theme of drama and performing is also occurring in my junior and middle school grades, with Grade 2’s completing weekly drama activities and Grades 3&4’s having just started on their small group drama role play scripts! I can already see the talent brewing in those cohorts, some already eager to step on the stage for their production! (Not until 2028!)

Chrissy Jedrys

Senior Performing Arts Teacher 

Jnr Performing Arts

Both Prep and Level 1 students continued to explore Drama, developing an awareness of how characters can express emotions through their voice, facial expressions and body movements. Level 1 students also continued developing their dance skills.

Our Preps particularly enjoyed watching themselves in video recordings, from this fortnight,  of our Three Little Pigs play. They used What Worked Well (WWW) and Even Better If (EBI) to reflect on their performances, noticing things such as character expression, cooperation and teamwork. It was wonderful to see students confidently sharing their ideas and celebrating each other’s successes.

Level 1 students finished recording the dance sections of their play, Voices on the Farm, and had the opportunity to practise their character lines for the acting sections. Everyone has worked incredibly hard, and it has been fantastic to see their confidence grow as they prepare for their acting performances!

Library 

Science

Auslan

Our Level 3/4 and Level 5/6 students have been developing their Auslan communication skills, building confidence with fingerspelling, vocabulary, Auslan grammar and visual communication. It has been wonderful to see students becoming increasingly confident and expressive signers.

Level 3/4 students have been practising signing the Auslan alphabet with a partner and with their teacher, as well as signing numbers from 0–30 and revising basic colours. They have been developing their conversational skills by asking and answering questions about their favourite colours and have particularly enjoyed playing Auslan Whispers, which encourages students to watch carefully, remember signs and communicate messages visually.

Level 5/6 students have been extending their fingerspelling and conversational skills. They have been practising the Auslan alphabet, fingerspelling six-letter holiday words and reviewing holiday vocabulary. Students have also been communicating where they went and what they did on holidays using a combination of signing, fingerspelling and mime.

Students have been learning to sign the months of the year and numbers from 0–30, and can now communicate their birthdate by signing the day, month and year. They have also been developing their understanding of Deaf communication protocols, including politely waving to gain someone's attention, using appropriate greetings such as HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? and I’M WELL, and asking and answering questions using Auslan grammar.

Both Level 5/6 and Level 3/4 students are developing their understanding of Non-Manual Features (NMFs). NMFs are the facial expressions, eye gaze, head movements and body movements used alongside signs to help communicate meaning, emotion and grammar. Students are learning that in Auslan, what we do with our face, eyes and body can be just as important as the signs we use with our hands. For example, facial expression and head movement can help show whether we are asking a question, expressing surprise or emphasising how we feel.

It has been fantastic to see students embracing the visual nature of Auslan and developing both their language skills and their understanding of Deaf communication and culture.

Senior Visual Arts

Year 3/4

The grade 3/4s have been working on Pop Art animals. We explored how to make our artworks POP using line, colour and making the subject the focus. I think they look amazing! Well done 3/4.

Year 5/6

We have started exploring Surrealism and the 5/6 students have been letting their creativity go wild in our “Through The Keyhole’ artwork. We are practising sketching to get our ideas onto the page and remembering to place things in the foreground, middleground and background.

Jnr Library

Students have continued developing their library and information literacy skills through engaging literature experiences and hands-on library activities.

Our Prep students have enjoyed two interactive story-time sessions that incorporated Auslan throughout each story. This fortnight, students read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle. Rather than simply signing individual words, students proudly signed the entire repetitive text of the story together:

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see? I see a Red Bird looking at me."

Students confidently signed each of the characters throughout the story, including Brown Bear, Red Bird, Yellow Duck, Blue Horse, Green Frog, Purple Cat, White Dog, Black Sheep, Goldfish, Teacher and Children. This repetitive text provided a wonderful opportunity for students to strengthen their Auslan vocabulary while developing confidence, fluency and expression through signed storytelling.

Im so proud to see many of the year 1 students now using our Non-fiction Savenger Hunt books to help them locate books of interest in the non-fiction section of the library. Once again our scavenger hunt was joyful to watch- the students have become much more confident and more independent finding were certain topics are located in the non-fiction section. Well done Level 1.

Last week, both our Prep and Level 1 students enjoyed learning about the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards. We discussed how each year, Australian authors and illustrators are recognised for creating outstanding books for children.

We then explored one of the Picture Book of the Year shortlisted books, The Frog’s First Song by Alexandra (Alex) D. K.. Students enjoyed listening to the story and discussing the characters, illustrations and themes. We also practiced signing many of our learnt Auslan signs and some new ones that were included in the story. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm as they shared their thoughts, signed many words and made predictions about the story.

ISS