Art /Cultural/ Music / PE & Health 

Specialist News 

Covid – a musical perspective…

 

“Life's a lot like jazz... it's best when you improvise.”- GEORGE GERSHWIN

How we feel about our Spring 2022 plans so far. 

For those of you who like to plan in advance, feel in control, and know what's coming, living through another pandemic winter is likely wearing you out.

Make plans. Change plans. Erase, edit, revise, republish.

What if we changed our expectations? What if we made plans with built-in flexibility? What if we expected change? 

 

What if we improvised?

 

When I introduce improvisation to my students, many of them think it means making up something in the moment. For those of us who come from a classical background, this makes us uncomfortable. We like structure and safety and certainty. We don't like being put on the spot.

But improvisation means making musical decisions in the moment. It means learning and practicing and developing a collection of ideas and patterns and picking and choosing which ones to use in the moment and what order to put them in.

What if we applied this mentality to our work?

We can start by creating a collection of ideas and possibilities, things you can mix, and match as needed if or when plans change, or things get disrupted. How could you rearrange those ideas into something new?

In her book, “Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change”, Maggie Smith writes, “To revise means, literally, ‘to look at again,’ to re-envision.”

2022 may not be what we expected so far, but let's take another look. Let's re-envision what it could be if we're willing to improvise a little.

 

Cheers,

Jack Harris, Music Teacher

 

 

 

Health and PE

This year each class will participate in one health and one PE lesson per week. It has been a great start to the year, with everyone participating and enjoying these lessons.

In week one of Health all students explored what Health is and understanding that we will be exploring health in regards to a wholistic approach of Mind, Body and Spirit (Soul) for the year. We looked at the importance of exercise, eating well, relationships and sleep to help us be as healthy as we can.

In week 2 we started exploring emotions and reading other people’s body language to help us understand and support them if needed. Students acted out the different emotions such as happy, sad, angry, excited etc. and how that feels. Also thinking about how to manage these emotions with healthy behaviours.

In PE, week one it was about re-introducing students to the PE structure and expectations. We played a number of mini games and worked on following instructions as well as team work and positive sporting behaviours. In Week one and two, grades 1-6 were also introduced to the sport of hockey, focusing on the grip, dribbling, passing and shooting.

 

Interschool Sports

Interschool sports started again on Friday 11th February. This is a program for our grade 5/6 students and they play against other schools in the area every Friday morning. It provides a great opportunity for our students to develop leadership, teamwork and positive sporting behaviours as well as a great social experience for our older students.

Due to our small numbers we participate in just one sport which is a boys and girls tee ball team. Also with the low number of girls in grade 5/6 we had to invite our grade 4 girls to participate too. Our first game was played against OLA at Cheltenham Park.

 

 

Culture Studies

In culture studies this week, the students have enjoyed learning about Chinese New Year. The students learned how long Chinese New Year is celebrated for (15 days). The lunar moon which makes it the year of the Tiger for 2022, the significance of the colour red (meaning luck), why they have red lanterns on the 15th day or last day of the festival (letting go of the past and welcoming the new year). Understanding that Chinese New Year represents luck, happiness, health, and fortune (prosperity). Students loved being able to choose and create their own Chinese New Year decorations within culture study lessons this week. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visual Arts

In Visual Arts last week, students decorated their front cover of their Visual Arts diary. Students focused on line, colour, shape and pattern when beginning to work on their self-portrait image, Foundation students drew their own self portrait, year 1/2 ‘s worked on symmetry, where they drew the other side of their self-portrait, Year 3/4’s ripped parts of their self portrait photo and added lines, colour and patterns within the ripped spaces, and Year 5/6 students traced over the outline of their self-portrait photo and by using line, colour, shape and pattern they were able to create a Pop Art self-portrait piece. Students have enjoyed being able to create an alternative self-portrait art piece.