Specialists
Japanese
こんにちは (konnichiwa) HEPS!
An update from the Japanese Room! This term, our wonderful Japanese Captains are running an origami competition, see details below. We have many students heading to Japan soon, please feel free to share photos with Pond Sensei to add to our "We went to Japan" travel board.
Origami Competition
poster designed by Emma Chalk
Performing Arts
For those I haven’t met yet, I’m Sun Pezzimenti, the new Performing Arts Teacher, and I’m thrilled to be part of the HEPS community! I have been welcomed so warmly and have loved getting to know our students.
We have hit the ground running this term, with student enthusiasm off the charts! Our students have certainly shown they Aim High through their creativity, ideas and willingness to have a go.
Student voice and agency are essential in performing arts learning and growth, so we are embracing our students’ interests and ideas to create engaging units in Performing Arts.
Music
This term, students across the school have been exploring percussion, rhythm, dance and movement, inspired by the music and iconic moves of Michael Jackson.
Foundation–Grade 2 are exploring Jackson 5 songs using percussion instruments and movement. Grade 3–4 are combining drumsticks with dance, using them as both instruments and props. Grade 5–6 are developing their bucket drumming and rhythm notation skills while combining their playing with Michael Jackson-inspired moves, including the famous moonwalk!
We’ve also hired a set of African djembe drums, which means students will soon be introduced to an exciting new unit exploring djembe drumming, African rhythms and ensemble playing.
We look forward to showcasing these performances at Term 3 and 4 assemblies, so keep an eye on Compass for dates.
Drama
Students were given a chance to choose our Drama focus, and the answer was unanimous — film-making and acting on screen.
Foundation–Grade 2 will explore mime and create their own “silent films”, while Grade 3–4 will build their mime skills and begin exploring dialogue and acting. Grade 5–6 will dive into the full film-making process, from scriptwriting and acting to filming and editing, using programs such as iMovie and Canva.
What a Start!
It has been an amazing start to Performing Arts at HEPS. I’m already so impressed by the creativity, confidence and enthusiasm of our students.
If we haven’t met yet, please come and say hi! I look forward to getting to know more of our wonderful HEPS community and celebrating our Performing Arts superstars.
Here’s to a fantastic semester of music, movement, drama and creativity!