Performing Arts
Foundation
This fortnight, Foundation students took the first steps in preparing for the end-of-year concert. They began by learning their song, warming up their voices with call-and-response singing and pitch-slide “sirens,” clapping the rhythm of the melody, listening to the full track and echo-singing each line. Students practised remembering the melody and key lyrics, using clear head voices and steady breathing as they built confidence singing together. They then added simple actions to match the meaning of the lyrics, starting with a copy-the-leader movement warm-up before exploring how actions can help tell the story of a song. Students practised singing and moving in performance rows, combining actions slowly and steadily building the skills they’ll continue to develop in the coming weeks.
Yakeen (FB): “I liked the concert song!”
Savannah (FB): “We were learning a song”
Zade (FB): “We were doing our song for the concert.”
Maria (FB): “We were singing Jingle Bell Rock.”
Aiza (FB): “We were learning the words.”
Images: Students learning the lyrics and actions to their concert song
Year 1-2
This fortnight, Year 1 and 2 students began preparing for their concert performance by learning the melody and lyrics of their song. They worked on singing with correct pitch, practising breathing techniques, echo singing and clapping the rhythm to help them stay in time. Students listened closely to the recording to recognise patterns in the lyrics and discussed what makes a confident performer, focusing on posture, voice control and expression. They then extended their learning by adding movement to show the meaning of the lyrics, exploring how performers use facial expressions, body language and actions to tell a story through music. Students rehearsed singing and movement together, matching actions to each line of the verse and practising safe, in-time movements with the whole class. They are beginning to build the skills needed to perform their concert song with confidence and expression.
Ivaan (2C): “We were singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town. We got to sing on the stage.”
Emily (2C): “Singing the Christmas song over and over again so we get the words correct.”
Nisa (2C): “We learned a new song and sang along with the music.”
Armani (2C): “We were learning our Christmas song for the concert.”
Ava (2C): “We were practising the Christmas song so we can remember it and practising on the stage.”
Images: Students learning the lyrics to their concert song
Year 3-4
This fortnight, Year 3–4 students began preparing for their concert performance by focusing on vocal clarity, accurate pitch and confident group singing. They warmed up using breathing exercises, diction challenges and pitch patterns before listening closely to their concert song to identify verses, choruses and musical cues. Students practised echo-singing short melodic phrases and refining their diction and pitch as a whole class. They then explored how movement can reflect the meaning and mood of the lyrics, discussing how dancers use energy levels and expression to support storytelling. Students experimented with actions, movement qualities and facial expression to match key lines, before rehearsing parts of the song with both singing and coordinated movement. They finished the session with fun drama games, such as “Wizards, Goblins and Giants”, which encouraged teamwork, quick thinking and performance energy!
Ekam (3B): “We learned the song and I loved it. We learned about new words.”
Nina (3B): “I liked learning new moves and new songs.”
Evelyn (3B): “It was nice we got to start learning the song. I like how the clapping has a beat to the song.”
Zoeya (3B): “I really liked the song because it’s funny and enthusiastic.”
Noah (3B): “I learned how to sing.”
Guntaj (3B): “I liked the song that we are doing. It’s fun!”
Images: Students learning the lyrics to their concert song
Year 5-6
This fortnight, Year 5–6 students began preparing for their concert performance by focusing on vocal techniques to support clear phrasing, confident projection and expressive storytelling. They warmed up using breath-control activities, vocal range exercises and diction drills before listening closely to their concert song to analyse its structure and meaning. Students worked on controlling breath for longer phrases and using dynamics to highlight key lyrics. They then expanded their skills by exploring how choreography can communicate the emotional tone of the song, discussing how dancers use levels, energy and choreographic devices, such as canon, unison and mirroring to tell a story through movement. Students rehearsed or began creating choreography that matched the meaning of their assigned lyrics, refining expression, timing and transitions as they practised with the music. They reflected on which technique (breath control, phrasing, dynamics, expression or movement choice) most strengthened their rehearsal this week.
Taylor (6C): “We were doing Santa Tell Me with 5C for our Christmas concert.”
Divjot (6C): “Our Christmas concert song is Santa Tell Me and we watched the dance video.”
Lucy (6C): “It was fun to learn our Christamas song for the end of year concert.”
Bonnie (6D): “We were thinking of good ideas for our concert dance.”
Carter (6D): “We were thinking of how to make the dance more interesting by being naughty elves.”
Images: Students learning the lyrics to their concert song and devising choreography
