Focus on Performing Arts
Foundation Students
We have been learning so many singing games and dances that we are not sure which one to choose to showcase for our Foundation celebration of learning scheduled for Wednesday 9 December. This group of Foundation students are such a precious and special group. They told me that some of them had gone back to their kindergartens and demonstrated what they learnt in Performing Arts by teaching their juniors to sing “A Little Seed”. It is not even the end of the year and they have shown confidence, showmanship and maturity to pass on their knowledge. I hope that like the song, they continue to bloom in Performing Arts and sow the love for music and the arts to the community! Special shoutout to Sonny F from FC for bringing this to fruition!
Grade 1 & 2 Students
This term we introduced the children to Lazzo the Lemur, a young lemur learning to play the recorder just like themselves! Lazzo shares his struggles as he learns to play the recorder through this delightful book. Students who demonstrate resilience, curiosity and a positive attitude each week are selected to become the 'recorder lemur'. This comes with special privileges like giving out the recorders and acting out a scene from the book.
All students have also obtained that first white belt for recorder karate! All grade 1s and 2s are now able to play “Hot Cross Buns”. Imagine the symphony we will create with all the other Orff instruments for Easter next year with such a head start.
Grade 3 & 4 Students
It’s an incredible term in the Performing Arts room as our students are putting together all the skills they learnt, rehearsed and extended in term 3 making bands!
Each week, students can choose to play either guitar, keyboard or ukulele and then as a class, we have been playing songs together, focusing on listening to one another, playing the correct chord at the correct time and choosing the right challenge.
Next week, students will be creating small group bands. They will choose which instrument they would like to play (including bring instruments from home if they would like to!), selecting a song and rehearsing. Towards the end of the term, they will share their performances back to the class.
Grade 5 & 6 Students
Where to even start?! Hopefully everyone reading this got a chance to see the product of the last term and half’s hard work – The Wizard of Oz concert. The songs, the dancing, the acting, the stagecraft! Every single student who stepped on to the stage last week had put in so much work, commitment and creativity. It was our first year running the 5&6 musical over two nights and I’m so glad we got an opportunity to share their spectacular efforts more than once.
These incredible evenings don’t come together without a whole community of people. Thank you again to every parent who ran lines, found costume items, rehearsed songs and calmed nerves. To the props and costume team – you make the kids feel so incredible on stage and I can’t thank you enough for all the support you gave me. Finally, the staff, who gave up their evenings to come and make this core-memory for the kids (and me!), you are phenomenal and it makes me so proud to be part of this school community.
Keep an eye on Compass for a link to the recordings of the performances.
Choir, Brass & Orchestra
Keep your eyes out for our Christmas concert on Tuesday 8 December!
Keri Spence & Olivia Li
Performing Arts Teachers