The Arts

TRACY SARROFF

Head of Arts

The Arts during remote learning

Arts in education produces significant positive impacts on academic, social and emotional development. It helps increase self-confidence, self-understanding and empathy for others. It also enhances communication skills, creative/critical thinking and improves cognition. The Arts plays a particularly important role during the remote learning period where children experience hands-on activities and enjoy a variety of learning modes necessary for a well-rounded education.

During the remote learning periods, our experienced Arts teachers continue to deliver high quality, engaging learning experiences; retaining a healthy balance of hands-on and theoretical components. Our teachers have been creative and flexible navigating the changes this brings to their curriculum, and have successfully sought new ways to deliver their courses in a home learning environment.

Remote learning activities will involve the exploration of ideas and skill development across a range of art forms such as dance, acting, digital software, painting, collage, video, drawing, photography, oral and music performance. Our teachers have organised pre-recorded tutorials; arranged workspace video rigs to provide live demonstrations; are teaching students how to scan, video and photograph work for submission; and are considering every possibility within the reach of the home environment. The flexibility and creativity of our Arts teachers provides essential modelling and a wide scope of delivery that ultimately trickles down to the acquisition of new skills, knowledge and resilience among our students.

Below are some statements we wish to share:

Desi Maramis - Teacher of Music

In these recent weeks, our students have shown amazing ingenuity in learning ways to present their music tasks and assignments with such creativity. Even though we cannot re-create the magic of live rehearsals and performances at School, students are continuing to adapt to their new learning experiences by engaging in live music lessons through technology. It is great to see our music video lessons. Recording platforms have been engaging and useful in both the Junior School and Middle School. Connecting with our students, and maintaining a sense of musical community, is everything during this time. I have heard from parents that virtual video lesson time is the highlight of the week for their children and is the highlight of their day. We are facilitating those connections every day.

Thank you to all my wonderful Music students for your continued efforts to adapt to remote learning and a special thank you to all the parents for your support.

Nick Karakottas – Teacher of Dance and Drama

During Term 2, students in Year 8 Drama have been working on research for the monologues that they will create in the next few weeks. Students have been asked to step into the characters explored in their stimulus book called 'Home and Away'. In this book, a family in a peaceful and developed nation encounters the effects of war and flee their homeland to travel to a new land in search of a better future. In the new land they also experience the hardships of living as refugees and try their best to be welcomed into the country, so they can live their lives freely. Students have been considering the perspectives of the family and the citizens of the new land to write passages that will later be used in their monologue making. They have also been searching the Amnesty International website for interesting facts about refugees to create a well-informed understanding of the hardships refugees face in a foreign country. Their research will also be used in their monologue development.

VIBA TRIPATHI

Junior School Art Teacher

I believe that creative expression can foster healing and mental wellbeing, and this is incredibly important in our current situation with online schooling. Research shows that through art projects, students apply their “creative process to explore emotions, reduce anxiety, increase self-esteem, and resolve other psychological conflicts."

I am excited to share that our students use their class time, on-screen and off-screen, and indulge in hands-on activities in our weekly Visual Art projects. Artworks produced by students showcase their effort, imagination and fine motor skills. This new remote learning environment has not inhibited my students. In fact, they are putting in extra motivation and enthusiasm as they adapt to a new learning environment. They are successfully following lesson’s including ‘Learning Intentions and Success Criteria’s,’ enjoying the ‘making and creating’ process and are regularly uploading their creative artworks on Teams. Their responses and reflections give insight into their overall understanding of the topics addressed.

I wish them every success in their creative learning journey.