SPECIALIST 

PERFORMING ARTS UPDATE

Performing Arts is a space where our students are able to express themselves through

song, music, dance and drama. Students usually complete one unit over 4-6 weeks. Some may result in a performance or recorded final product. 

During performances, students practise audience etiquette and it’s wonderful to see students gain confidence to share their work. 

PREP

The Prep students have enjoyed the music unit so far. This week, the students explored different instruments and how they sound. For the remainder of the term, they will be changing a few words from well-known chants, songs and nursery rhymes to be meaningful to them and continuing to explore instruments and songs; to perform to each other. 

YEAR 1

Year 1 students have begun their Music unit exploring beat, rhythm and dynamics through movement, body percussion and instruments. Students are learning to keep a steady beat, recognise rhythms and experiment with getting louder and softer in their music-making. They have also been introduced to the musical terms ta and ti-ti, discovering how these rhythms look in music notation. 

YEAR 2

Year 2 students have started their music unit focusing on singing Australian songs. Students created short dance actions for the verses of ‘Home Among the Gumtree’ to help remember the words, then used instruments to create their own melody for the song. Next, students will sing ‘Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gumtree’ in rounds. 

YEAR 3

Year 3 students have been exploring music in a range of ways, experimenting with different elements of music and making changes to familiar compositions. Students followed rhythm patterns using instruments such as drums, bells, keyboards, glockenspiels and a range of percussion instruments. They kept in time with each other by following the tempo of a metronome.  

YEAR  4

The Year 4's have loved experimenting with the ways they could change ‘Baby Shark’. They experimented with instruments, tempo, beat, dynamics and writing lyrics. Linking to their Inquiry learning, students explored digital music creation through Chrome Music lab and presented their song to class peers. 

YEAR 5 

The Year 5 students have started their Dance unit this week. Through the refinement of safe dance practices, they explore the elements of dance, dance structures and follow a pre-choreographed routine. Students will be able to add their own flare to the dance by incorporating some of their own moves into the routine. 

YEAR 6

For our Year 6 Drama unit, students extended their classroom Inquiry learning by taking inspiration from some of Australia's politicians. Students developed a political character and crafted debates to express their point of view. Students were assessed on elements of drama including voice projection, actor-audience relationships and tension.