Performing Arts

  Communicating with the Specialist Team

We look forward to partnering with you in 2024, and welcome your input:

Penelope Lang (Performing Arts) penelope.lang@education.vic.gov.au 

Wominjeka!

It just seems like yesterday I was writing this Newsletter and welcoming you to the new school year! Now I am writing my last Newsletter for 2024 and wishing you a wonderful Summer holiday. I guess it is true that time flies when you're having fun.

Thank you for all of your support during the year and for all the beautiful emails, Christmas cards and generous gifts. I am so grateful.

Next year you will be seeing me a little less as I am working 3 days a week instead of 4. This is to enable me to support my son who is going into Year 12 and doing VCE. This certainly will not stop me from filling our days and weeks next year with all things creative. I can't wait!

Wishing you all a wonderful Summer break with your incredible children.

xx

Ausmusic T-shirt Day  - 

A VERY BIG THANK YOU for supporting Ausmusic T-shirt day 2024. I am delighted to announce that we beat our fundraising efforts from last year and raised an amazing $382. We have now sent that money to Support Act and, once again, they were incredibly grateful for our support. It was a great day at school and I had lots of conversations with students about their t-shirts and their eclectic taste in music. 

Community Christmas Concert  

A heartfelt congratulations to all of you who braved the 33 degree heat and attended our end of year Christmas celebrations. I did not realise how much I loved Zooper Doopers until that night! Your children showed amazing resilience on the night and were respectful audience members during each class and choir performance. You should feel very proud of them. We had a fun time over at 3MDR pre-recording the student's voices in preparation for the evening. We are so lucky to have such clever and kind next door neighbours. 

Instrumental Concert

Congratulations to everyone who performed in our end of year Instrumental Concert a few weeks ago. I was so impressed with the variety of talent on display. For some students it was their 3rd or 4th concert, but for many, it was the very first time they had performed for an audience on their chosen instrument. Some students had only been learning for a couple of terms but still found the courage to have a go. You should all feel so very proud of yourselves. We are so lucky to have Jordan Scotney and his Groove Foundations team of teachers at USPS. Lessons will start up again in Term 1, 2025 so keep an eye on your emails from Jordan.

School Band - The Electric Lyrebirds

Last week we were entertained during one of the recess breaks by our school band, 'The Electric Lyrebirds'. The band has been rehearsing all year during our Friday Electives with the band manager, Jacob Long. They had the crowd joining in and 'shaking it off' to some Taylor Swift! Charlie then added to the entertainment performing with his 'Roar' ensemble who had been rehearsing together for a few weeks during lunchtimes. Such a great initiative and another example of how the arts can bring people together. Well done to all of you.

Victorian State Schools Spectacular - 2025

As mentioned at the Christmas concert,  we have been offered a place in the 2025 VSSS for both mass dance (16 places) and mass choir (25 places). Information sessions will be held very early in Term One 2025 at which time I will also be able to provide details of rehearsal dates and costs to participate. 

Applications are still open for anyone who is interested in applying/auditioning for a place with the ensemble dance groups, Performing Arts professional choir, solo singers/dancers as well as backstage crew, lighting and sound. All information about registering your interest can be found on the page link below or by searching 'Victorian State Schools Spectacular 2025'. 

https://web.cvent.com/event/0b63c336-ebac-4683-81c4-cd63932da5a3/summary?RefId=SUMMARYPAGE

In the Performing Arts room

Foundation

The Foundation students worked very hard together on our outdoor stage to prepare their  two class items for you for our Christmas concert. I am sure you would agree that they did an absolutely brilliant job? We have spent the last couple of lessons together playing some teamwork games including, 'Slithering Snake', 'Mirror Mirror' and 'Carpool'. We danced to some fun Christmas songs including the 'Santa Freeze Dance' and the 'Andy's Coming'. They finished the year by reflecting on their favourite thing about Performing Arts, using the stage blocks to show off their stagecraft skills of entering, exiting and bowing. This was similar to a lesson we did almost exactly one year ago. It was wonderful to see how much they have grown in confidence and skill. 

Year One and Year Two

The students in Years one and two polished their class items for our end of year Christmas concert and enjoyed their time on the outdoor stage. I was delighted to have teachers knocking on the Performing Arts room door asking if they could do more rehearsals with me. YES!!! Such dedication and care from our classroom teachers. It really is (and should be) a whole school effort to prepare and present our whole school concerts. The students have recently enjoyed some free creative time during our lessons. They have finished off their small group drama story performances, made up some small group Santa themed drama stories (using our stage blocks for his sleigh) and have danced to some fun Christmas songs whilst playing Rock Star and Heads or Tails.

Year Three and Year Four

The students in Year three and four did a fantastic job performing the fun song 'Five Days Til Christmas'. We hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for remembering to bring a carrot along on the night. I will remember that for a long time. We have finished the year with some small performances in class. I am constantly amazed by the eagerness of students to jump up with such confidence and self belief to perform their own drama stories; often with only 5 or 10 minutes preparation. These tasks have enhanced their improvisation skills and re-enforced the need to listen carefully to other actors when performing. Our improvised dramas were set in Santa's Workshop in a variety of departments. These included gift wrapping, animal training, communications (answering all of the letters to Santa), weather and sat nav (ensuring Santa's safe journey), clothes (Santa needs shinny boots) and food (who ate all the mince pies?). We had a lot of fun and laughed a lot. 

Year Five and Year Six

The year 5/6 students did a brilliant job pre-recording their voices over at 3MDR in preparation for the Christmas concert. Thank you so much for attending on such a hot evening and for ensuring your child had the required prop for their song. For most of our Year 6 students that was quite possibly the very last school Christmas concert they will perform in. Make sure you encourage them to sing 'Auld Lang Syne' at your New Years Eve parties this year and maybe even throw in the 'Nutbush' for good measure! The 5/6s  should all be so very proud of their efforts and achievements in Performing Arts in 2024. 

Dress-up Costumes - Donations required

I am very keen to build up our collection of dress-up costumes in the Performing Arts room. I am especially searching for small dress-ups (sizes 3 to 6) that would fit our Foundation students. If you have any in your playroom at home that you no longer use, I would LOVE to take them off your hands. Thanking you in advance for your kind donations.

Instrumental Lessons

Please see below for information about our school's Instrumental Program that is run by Groove Foundations. We offer lessons on most instruments and have an outstanding team of musicians who deliver this program to over 100 students. The first 'trial' lesson is free of charge and your child will get the opportunity to perform in an end of year instrumental concert if they want to. Feel free to contact Jordan Scotney who would be happy to answer any of your questions. I am looking forward to watching the Instrumental Concert on Wednesday 27th November in our school gym. We will need to exit the gym promptly after the concert so it would be great if people could lend a hand helping us to pack up.