Specialist News

Music and Performing Arts

This term all the grades have been working on Performing Arts, exploring acting and scriptwriting.

Preps have been working on showing facial expressions, to represent different moods, which they can then use in their acting of scripts and short plays. This will also help them in day to day life in displaying empathy for others and for understanding their own emotions.

Prep, 1 and 2 have worked on miming activities including acting out actions. Here is one lesson activity example:

They have then worked on creating whole class scenes (like a movie) from using a stimulus picture or movie and coming up with dialogue for their performance.

Grade 3-6s, have been developing characters and making videos. Grades 3/4s are making 2 minute videos and 5-6 are making 3+ minutes. They have been working particularly on developing their characters through drama and editing them via iMovie and CapCut.

They have then worked on re-recording scenes using extreme close ups, overdubbing and creating pans to build up their skillset and tools for the next.

See below for the original pan vid by Marlow, Peyton and Julie

(Screenshots from the 3/4 movies below)

Term 3, we return to Music lessons, with Term 4 being a mix between Performing Arts and Music.

Visual Arts in Term 2

Hola! Bonjour! Hallo! Ciao! Nǐ hǎo (你好)! Konnichiwa (こんにちは)! Annyeong haseyo (안녕하세요)! Asalaam alaikum (السلام عليكم)! Namaste (नमस्ते)! Olá! Yasou!

Warm greetings from Visual Arts where learning and creativity take place. In Term 2, the theme we investigated was the significance and importance of Australian flora and fauna in the First Nations artwork, traditions and culture. Below is what we did in each level in greater detail.

Prep students explored First Nations symbols in contemporary and traditional artworks. They drew their own symbols to tell a story about themselves. Prep students looked at artworks by First Nations artists depicting land, aquatic, aerial animals as well as mini fauna. They learnt to create mixed media sealife using aquatic animal shapes, Magiclay and beads. Prep students also experimented with making pinch pots using clay and creating textures using gumnuts, gum leaves and small twigs. Check out their amazing artworks!

Grade 1 and 2 students took a look at different types and forms of First Nations art and at how they are actually diverse forms of storytelling. They learnt to tell their own stories through collage using prints and pattern paper they created themselves. Grade 1 and 2 students learnt about the Tjakura, the great desert skink, and merle-merle, the butterfly. They experimented with simple coiling techniques with clay to make lizards. Grade 1 and 2 students were introduced to Emily Kame Kngwarreye, a First Nations artist, and created simple dot paintings of a landscape inspired by Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Here are some of the wonderful works grade 1 and 2 students created!

Grade 3 and 4 students learnt about the importance of Country to the First Nations peoples and how their connections to the land are reflected through their art, traditions and culture. They were introduced to Melanie Hava of Dulgu-Barra and Wari-Barra clan and created a collage of a landscape or a seascape by cutting and layering papers that they had painted themselves. Grade 3 and 4 students were also introduced to the Hermannsburg Potters, a collective of Western Arranta potters from Central Australia. They utilised techniques such as rolling, pinching, slipping and scoring to make pinch pots with Australian-themed lids as inspired by the Hermannsburg Potters works. Take a look at their awesome creations!

Finally, grade 5 and 6 students learnt about First Nations artists and ceramists, Naomi Hobson, LeShaye Swan and the Hermannsburg Potters, who show their connections to the land in various ways. For example, Naomi Hobson often uses cylindrical forms whereas LeShaye Swan creates large belly pots. We looked at how First nations artists and ceramists attach their stories into every piece they create. Grade 5 and 6 students created bird shapes with terracotta clay using pinch pot techniques. They also looked at artworks of Naomi Hobson and produced their abstract paintings that told their stories using lines, symbols and dots. Here are snapshots of their fabulous works!

Finally, it is ART SHOW TIME in Term 3! I will send information about our Art Show through Compass early next term. There will be a couple of art activities that you might wish to participate in with your child or children at the Art Show. There are limited spaces available so you might not want to miss it!

Thank you,

Denise Diamantopoulos (Visual Arts Specialist)