Chisholm Need to Know

KLA Feature - Creative Arts

As we reach the end of the term we look back on the fantastic achievements of our Creative Arts students. The hard work, dedication and commitment that our students have placed into their Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts has been highly commendable. We are so very proud of your accomplishments and the way you have approached every class lesson taking on board all feedback and suggestions. We wish our HSC students the best for these next few weeks as they look towards the beginning of their final HSC Exams. 

Visual Arts

We would like to congratulate our Visual Arts students who submitted their “Body of Works” on Monday 1st September. The body of work is about demonstrating what students know and can do in the practice of artmaking. Artworks are created over the duration of the Year 12 course. Over time, the kind of work that students submit has evolved to reflect contemporary trends and practice in the artworld. The selection of works for submission allows students to demonstrate critical judgement. Works are curated to reflect a coherent point of view and communicate to audiences the student’s intentions, conceptual strength and meaning, and technical resolution. This year we congratulate the HSC Year 12 Visual Arts class of 2025 for their outstanding work, Fatimah Abid, Gia Alvarez, Elise Biurra, Skye Daly, Cadence Delfs-Farrell, Eva Fanucchi, Madison Jenkins, Ava Kyle, Sara Malinowsky, Georgina Martin, Laura Melville, Summer Seymour, Scarlett Storr, Makayla Thain, Ivy Valentine-Miller, Ellie Walker, Matilda Weeks, Claire Williams, Hannah Youssef and Anna Zhuang.

Thank you to our Visual Arts teachers Jodie Cusack, Felicity Wood, Sara Eyles and Karen King for your creative guidance and support of our students.

 

We recently had a number of Visual Arts students enter their artworks into the 2025 Penrith Show. This annual event was held on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st of August. Open to all year 7 to 11 students, it's a chance for up-and-coming artists to have the opportunity to display their artworks. We congratulate the following students who achieved an award at this event and have been recognised for their artistic skills. Eliza O’Brien placed 2nd, Andrea Jojo placed 3rd and Jenna McConnell received Highly Commended for their Year 11 drawings. Indee Bowman, Mehwash Batool, Sofia Campora-Kaal, Olivia Nguyen and Amelia Castillo all received Highly Commended awards for their Year 9 “Lost Thing Drawings”. Yashica Juneja placed 3rd, Adrianan Burbar placed 3rd and Cziana Sulapat received  Highly Commended for their year 7 Lino prints.

Dance

In week 4 of this term, our Year 12 Dance students were the first class to commence the Practical HSC Examinations for Creative Arts. In the middle of the Trial HSC Exam period, our 10 Dance students performed three works for the NESA HSC markers. All students presented their Core Performance dance and 9 of the 10 students performed their Major Study Performance works. Both of these works were marked on the students’ technical skill and performance quality. As part of the course, HSC students are required to choreograph a dance that focuses on the development of a theme. This Core Composition dance is then taught to another student at the College for them to perform for the markers. This is a fantastic opportunity for younger dancers in the school. However, it is a big responsibility and also takes up personal time for rehearsals. I would like to thank the following dancers who gave up their time to assist our HSC Dance students: Ava Abarca (9), Alyssa Judd (10), Lillie Smith (10), Alyssa Darroch (9), Georgia King (11), Brodie Wall (11), Olivia Francica (10), Yvette Naudi (10), Mackenzie Clarke (9) and Zara Baulman (10). 

The HSC Dance students have been driven and committed, often spending their breaks and study sessions rehearsing and preparing for their practical exams. We would like to wish our Dance students all the best for their upcoming written exams, especially Grace Barnes who is injured and had to change her Major Study option to Appreciation (theory). This means Grace will sit two theory exams.

Congratulations and best wishes to the 2025 HSC Dance class Mia Abarca, Grace Barnes, Alessia Catanzariti,Millie-Jay Crowley, Lili-Anne Lodding, Izabella Max, Tiana Pringley, Lara Roy, Sarah Shanley and Polyxeni Zappala.

Thank you to our dance teacher Mrs Brooke Hughes for your outstanding work with our HSC class.

Drama

On the 27th of August, Year 12 Drama performed their major works for a panel of HSC Drama Examiners. These works included their Group Devised Performance and 3 monologues that were performed by Amber S, Montanah T and Jasmine S. Every performance was amazing and demonstrated their extensive understanding of manipulating the elements of Drama, their range of performance skills and working as part of an ensemble.

On the 25th of August, Grace B submitted her Costume Design, along with Gia A and Mia K, who submitted their Video Dramas that surrounded a range of complex concepts that highlight issues that are present in modern society. Each student worked tirelessly on these projects, constantly applying feedback from their teachers and external markers.

Recently, we were delighted to hear that Montanah has been nominated for OnSTAGE for her Monologue 'On My Own', from the musical Les Misérables. Montanah, along with the rest of Year 12 Drama, should be incredibly proud of the commitment they've made in the HSC Drama course. The College is excited to see how their hard work and determination pay off in their final HSC written examination.

Thank you to our Drama teachers Mr Louis Cassell and Mrs Sara Lemaire for their creative vision and support of our students. Together with Georgia Willett and Beth Rosser from Captivate for your assistance and guidance.

Music

We would like to congratulate all of the Yr 12 Music students on their performances at the recent HSC Practical examinations on Tuesday 9th September. All members of the class were required to perform at least one piece of music for the examiners with several choosing to major in performance, meaning that they were required to perform four different musical works for their examination. Two students submitted musical compositions and four of the students participated in Viva Voces, (a ten minute musical discussion) with the examiners. All of the students are to be commended for the high standards that they achieved in their musical performances at the HSC practical examinations.

 

Last Wednesday, we received the pleasing news that one of our Music students, Montanah Telefoni, received an Encore nomination. During the practical HSC marking operations, markers identify exemplary works that reflect the syllabus outcomes and high achievement of the marking criteria. These identified exemplary works are known as Encore nominations. Montanah will now submit a video recording of her performances to be considered for inclusion in the 2026 Encore Concert at the Sydney Opera House. A rare honour that one of our past music students, Evelyn Shanley successfully achieved in 2023. 

 

The Yr 12 2025 Music 1 class consists of Talya Arokianathan, Ebony D'Agostino, Ava Hughes, Kate Pattinson, Simone Schmahl, Montanah Telefoni, Makayla Thain, Leah Tom, Alyssa Turner and Ivy Valentine-Miller. We wish them well for the up-coming written component of their HSC Music examinations.

Thank you to our Music Teachers Richard Caws and Vanessa Wall for all of their support and guidance with our HSC Music students. We thank our Music teachers Richard Caws, Vanessa Wall and Madeline Riger for their wonderful support of our students.

 

Mrs Belinda Pranjic

Leaders of Learning Creative Arts