In the Spotlight

Meet the Peripatetics!

If you have been exploring everything that the NCS community offers on the school’s website, you may have come across the Peripatetic Teachers option at the bottom of the Current Families drop down menu. 

This is where you can find music tutors that travel between schools. These tutors provide private lessons during school hours, but also contribute to the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) programs at NCS, community outreach, and school musicals.

The tutors that come to NCS have a wealth of experience and training in music education, and specialise in the instruments they teach. Whether you are a band member that is looking to improve your proficiency with your instrument, or you are looking to start a new instrument, a tutor can help you reach your goals. 

Let’s meet the tutors.

Katie Elliston teaches flute and piano. She has been teaching at NCS for many years and she has been tutoring students in the concert band program at NCS from the beginning. Katie is often seen crossing the playgrounds of NCS with her budding young musicians.

Megan Kovalik is a recent addition to our school as a reed tutor in the NCS Primary Concert Band. She brings a lot of energy to the clarinet and saxophone sections of the band, and loves exploring a range of music, including jazz and show tunes, with her private students.

Kevin Skues is our last concert band tutor. In the concert band, Kevin specialises in the brass family- trumpets, baritones, trombones, and tubas. Despite this, he will often be found helping out with the woodwind groups. Kevin conducts the Nowra Town Band, Wollongong City Brass Band, and performs in orchestras, and A grade band competitions.

A string group and learning program were founded at NCS last year. Jacob Antonio, has taught privately at NCS for a number of years and now tutors our primary school groups. Jacob teaches violin, viola, and cello. Jacob is also very active in the community with his involvement in the Steel City Strings, and Shoalhaven Youth Orchestra where he conducts the Junior Strings group.

Annette Smyth is an acoustic, electric and bass guitar tutor at NCS. The sound of Annette and students singing along to pop/rock songs can be heard outside the tutorial rooms during lessons. She also trained in classical guitar. Annette brings her experience as a primary trained teacher to her approach to teaching and learning.

Jaydn Illesca is a new addition to the NCS peripatetic family. Jayden teaches acoustic, electric and bass guitar, as well as drums. He is a passionate music educator and sound engineer with over a decade of experience in teaching guitar, music theory, and audio production.

Nicholle McNiece is a vocal coach who has worked with NCS in the production of The Little Mermaid and the next primary musical Peter Pan. Nicholle also teaches piano and music theory to students starting their musical education. She enjoys working with students towards their HSC and AMEB exams, for public speaking events, auditions, eisteddfods, and public performances.

Matt Drury is the current Band Director at NCS and peripatetic tutor coordinator. Matt tutors low brass instruments such as baritone, trombone and tuba. In the community, he is the bandmaster for the Salvation Army band, president of the Shoalhaven City Concert Band, and volunteers with the Shoalhaven Youth Orchestra and AMTC musicals.

The final member of our peripatetic team is Carolyn Wearne. She has tutored students at NCS for many years in piano. Carolyn has ceased taking new students, but has committed to seeing her current students through to the completion of their studies. NCS appreciates the time and effort that our tutors put into training students in music.

To see the music biographies of the peripatetic teachers, and sign up to learn or develop skills in a particular instrument visit https://www.ncs.nsw.edu.au/team . 

Nowra Show Success

A number of primary school students entered the Nowra Show Colouring Competition early this year. A number of students achieved first place in their category. Congratulations on your results, including Jessica A (1st place), Rebecca A, Hallie D (1st), Aurora A, Eva N (1st) and Arlo D (1st).

Year 4 Acts Up!

Last Thursday, Year 4 students participated in the Drama section of the Shoalhaven Eisteddfod. They had been rehearsing for many weeks with their Secondary directors and Mrs Ellery. 

Dressed in a range of crazy looking costumes and carrying all their props they boarded the bus to go to the School of Arts. There were six different casts performing excerpts from Wizard of Oz, Girl in Da Hoodie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Superhero Support Group, Shrek and Beauty is a Beast. 

For many of these students it was their first experience acting to an audience. The adjudicator pointed out the amazing job they all did - learning lines, supporting each other and working as an ensemble, staying in character, projecting their voices, using the space on the stage properly. They all showed maturity beyond their years both in the preparation and on the day of performing.

While not every group can get a prize, the marks for all of the groups were very, very close. The cast of "Wizard of Oz" gained the plaque for second and "Charlie and Chocolate Factory" cast gained a first. Congratulations to all of the students, your teachers and Secondary directors are very proud.

We are very thankful for our Secondary directors Grace P, Isa C, Jaxon P, Ebony L, Ella C, Rowan W and Benjamin G.