Specialist News

Music

Hello/Assalamu Alaikum/Yama/Hola, Nĩ Hão, Ciao, Yassou, Kon'nichiwa everybody! 

Prep/Foundation

Prep have got off to a great start to their musical journey. We've started with songs with actions to improve bodily kinesthetic movements and rhythm. One of the songs is a mashup of the Chicken Dance-Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes and Incy Weensy Spider. 

We have been exploring different percussion instruments, their names, how they function, and what they are made of. We've used triangles, maracas, claves/rhythm sticks, bells, congo drums, and egg shakers with call-and-response (leader plays, kids copy).

This week we had a go at the xylophones and glockenspiels working on finding a particular letter and making it sound nice (tone) by playing the note softly.

Grade 1/2

Grade 1/2 have been learning the words and actions to the late 1800s classic Miss Mary Mack. We have looked at how learning music, actions and dance slowly is important to build technique before gradually playing at tempo. We have then played the notes on xylophone using crotchets ("Ta"s) and crotchet rests ("Za"s). We then used the same information to play it on the keyboards using "C position" (C thumb, D index, E Middle, F Ring).

Grade 3/4

Grade 3/4s have been busy working on their rhythmic and melodic compositions. Creating 12 note compositions consisting of crotchets, quavers and semiquavers. 

They have added the rhythmic syllables to perform them with more rhythmic accuracy. We have been working on transferring the notes onto a treble clef stave. We have used worked on class examples before the independent work. 

Students can practice finding the notes here <--- using EGBDFA (Every Good Burrito Doesn't Fall Apart) and FACE in the Space, Cheeseburger C and Dangling D. The aim of the exercise is for the students to create a piece at their own ability, while learning how to read and write music at the same time.

Grade 56

Grade 5/6 have also been creating rhythms with added notes of triplet quavers, which can be divided using the words tri-p-let or ba-na-na. They are then to put their compositions on to the treble clef stave over two octaves. We will be also exploring the bass clef as the Term continues. 

Students who have completed the activity are then working on finding the notes and playing two handed Ode to Joy, The Blue Danube, Heart and Soul, or their choice of any suitable song (*school appropriate + conferenced with Joel).

PE & Sport

Congratulations to Naomi, Abi, Erin, Camilla, Xanthi & Julie for participating in the District Swimming trials on Wednesday. The girls had a great time and enjoyed some healthy competiton.

Shout out to the girls for deciding to enter an extra event which was the Medley Relay. Well done to all the girls and to Naomi for having a crack at the butterfly which is a very difficult and strenuos stroke! (Xanthi left prior to the photo being taken)

Go Bombers!

We were very lucky to have 4 Essendon Players come to our school last Wednesday. They participated in a Question &  Answer session in the MPR, then went out onto the oval to sign autographs and have a kick of the footy with the kids. 

The students were thrilled to see the players when they walked into the MPR. We had some A list players:

• 2 Metre Pete ( Peter Wright)
• Nic Martin
• Ben Hobbs
• Zac Reid

The students had lots of fun rubbing shoulders with the players, having a kick and a chat.

Big thank you to Essendon FC for sending the players to our school.

Next time we have some players I am going to bring a large box to stand on!