A message from the Principal
Celebration of the Arts: Tell Me a Story...
St. Kilda Park Primary School
With just one week to go until our 2026 Celebration of the Arts (COTA) on Thursday 22 October, excitement is building across SKiPPS as students and staff put the finishing touches on what promises to be a wonderful evening.
COTA is undoubtedly one of the highlights of our school calendar. It is a chance for every child to share their creativity, celebrate their achievements and experience the excitement of performing for an audience of family and friends. Unlike a traditional school production, COTA is a whole-school celebration of the arts, combining music, dance, drama and visual arts into an evening that brings our entire community together.
This year's theme, 'Tell Me a Story...', has provided plenty of inspiration for our students and teachers. Every child will have artwork on display in our Mini Art Show and will also participate in a musical or dance performance during the evening. We can't wait for families to see what they have been working on!
The Importance of the Arts at SKiPPS
COTA is also an opportunity to recognise the quality and importance of our specialist programs at SKiPPS.
We are fortunate to offer our students a broad range of specialist learning opportunities, including Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Science, Italian, Physical Education and Kitchen Garden. These programs are an important part of the rich, knowledge-based curriculum we want every child to experience.
Our Visual Arts and Performing Arts programs are particularly visible during COTA, but the learning that takes place in these subjects extends well beyond preparing for a performance or creating a piece of artwork.
The arts provide children with opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and ways of thinking that complement their learning in other areas. Through music, students learn about rhythm, pattern, structure and expression. Through visual arts, they develop observation, creativity, technical skills and an understanding of how ideas can be communicated visually. Through dance and performance, they learn to collaborate, practise, persevere and develop the confidence to present themselves in front of others.
We teach the arts because they are valuable areas of learning in their own right. Every child deserves opportunities to develop their creativity, appreciate artistic expression, acquire new skills and experience the satisfaction that comes from creating or performing something they are proud of.
At SKiPPS, we place a strong emphasis on explicit instruction, a knowledge-rich curriculum and high expectations for student learning. Our specialist programs are an important part of that commitment. They ensure our students receive a broad and balanced education, with opportunities to discover interests and talents that might not otherwise emerge.
COTA is a wonderful demonstration of what this looks like in practice, and I am enormously grateful to Audrey and our specialist teaching team for the work they have put into preparing our students for this year's celebration.
Important COTA Information for Families
Dress Rehearsal: Monday 19 October
Our full dress rehearsal will take place at school on Monday 19 October, between 11:30am and 1:00pm.
We ask all families to please ensure that their child's costume is brought to school on Monday morning in a bag clearly labelled with their name.
Students will change into their costumes for the rehearsal before carefully packing them away and bringing them home again, ready for Thursday evening.
Costume information has previously been sent to families, with each year level having its own theme linked to our overall Tell Me a Story... celebration.
Costume letters:
Thursday 22 October: Performance and Meeting Times
The evening begins at 5:00pm, with performances taking place in blocks throughout the evening. This allows families to enjoy their child's performance in a relaxed atmosphere while also having time to explore the art exhibition, catch up with friends and enjoy something to eat.
The meeting and performance times for each year level are included in the image below.
We would really appreciate families' support with the following arrangements:
- Please ensure your child arrives at their designated meeting point, in their costume, at the correct meeting time. This will help our staff organise students and ensure performances begin on time.
- Once you have dropped your child at their meeting point, please make your way to the quadrangle to find a seat and enjoy the performance.
- Please ensure a parent or responsible adult is available to collect your child from their designated collection point following their performance.
Once your child's performance has finished, we ask families to make room in the seated area for the next group of parents and carers.
We will also be filming the performances, with recordings made available to families afterwards. This means everyone will have an opportunity to enjoy the performances again, including family members who are unable to attend on the night.
For those wanting a little taste of what to expect, we have also included a link to our previous COTA performances on Vimeo. It is always lovely to look back at these events and see just how much our students have grown!
Previous COTA performances:
Make an Evening of It!
One of the things I love most about COTA is that it is much more than a series of performances. It is a genuine community celebration, with families spending time together, enjoying the school grounds and sharing in the achievements of our students.
This year, we will have some excellent food options available at school, including:
- The Taco Truck, serving delicious Mexican food.
- Nem N Nem Vietnamese, with a range of Vietnamese favourites.
Sushi rolls, also available for purchase on the night.
Families are, of course, also very welcome to bring their own picnic.
I encourage everyone to make an evening of it. Come along, explore the Mini Art Show, enjoy the performances, grab something to eat and spend some time with other SKiPPS families. Grandparents, extended family and friends are very welcome too.
Events like COTA take an enormous amount of preparation, and I want to acknowledge the work of our staff, particularly our arts teachers, in bringing everything together. I also want to thank families in advance for helping with costumes, rehearsal arrangements and getting students to the right places at the right times.
Most importantly, I hope every child has a wonderful experience and feels proud of what they have learned and achieved.
I look forward to seeing you all next Thursday evening for what I am sure will be another fantastic Celebration of the Arts at SKiPPS!
Neil Scott
Principal