Performing Arts and Languages News

Music

Outstanding senior music performance at Principal's Conference 

Congratulations to the students who represented St Mary’s College at the CCEL Principal's Conference 2025 at Wrest Point on Friday 7 March. In addition to the six Inservio students led by Mrs Sharon Lawler, eight Year 11-12 Senior Music students performed to a room of school leadership teams from around Tasmania, sharing in the joy of song, accompanied on piano by Mr Scott Weston. 

International Women's Day in the Arts

Last week, we celebrated International Women’s Day in our classrooms by profiling prominent women in the arts who have influenced and shaped culture, music, and theatre. Meet The Only Girl in the Orchestra, a short 30-minute documentary about Orin O’Brien, the first female musician employed at the New York Philharmonic, available on Netflix. This inspiring story shows us how the arts can ignite joy and passion in our lives for a lifetime, and how this came to be for a significant and humble woman in the late 1960s. We look forward to sharing stories of prominent women closer to our shores later in the year.

Growing music brains in Years 3 and 4 | Mrs Mary Heferen-Faulkner, Junior School Music Teacher 

Year 4 Music students have been reviewing recorder playing technique, reading notation, using memory skills and working in groups. Year 3 Music students are excited to be playing the recorder, learning notation, reviewing rhythm symbols and learning other music signs and symbols. 

Learning to play an instrument involves many skills including breathing technique, fine motor skills, finger placement, posture, reading music, memory, mentally counting the beats and playing the rhythm within the beat.  It is a very complex cognitive ask for anyone, but achievable for everyone. 

This knowledge and understanding continue to strengthen and build upon students’ prior learning from previous years. As with all learning, consistent practice and review is necessary. Year 3 and 4 students have recorded themselves playing so they can practice any time at home! 

It is wonderful to see such enthusiasm for playing recorder, singing, beat and rhythm games while improvising and working cooperatively with their peers. 

We asked Year 3 and 4 what they thought about learning the recorder and here are a few of their responses: 

I love the recorder. It is really fun and I can play Hot Cross Buns. – Lola 

It makes me feel calm when I play it. – Yara 

I can feel the beat inside my bones. – Olivia 

I feel good and challenged. – Sarosna 

I love playing the recorder because it builds my confidence. – Lola 

It helps finger movement. – Maggie 

The recorder is hard, but I’m starting to get it. – Milla 

It helps me with my finger positions. – Valentina 

It is fun but challenging. – Julia 

It is fun but exciting. – Zara 

I like to play E and B. – Ruby 

They are fun and I want to learn more. – Dixie 

The recorder is relaxing. – Maddie 

It is beautiful and everyone is great at it. – Olive 

I love playing the recorder, it is the best.  – Aria 

It’s hard to play the recorder but when you practice, it gets easier. – Cadence 

I love playing the recorder because music sounds good on it. – Frankie 

I like playing the recorder because it calms me. – Maddie 

It is fun to play. I love it. – Elsie 

Languages 

2026 Italian Study Tour 

Expressions of Interest for the 2026 Italian Study Tour have now closed. We are excited to host an information evening on Monday 8 April. Parents and carers will be notified directly by email with the relevant details. 

Exchange opportunities 

Separate from the Italian Study Tour, senior students who study Italian at St Mary’s College have the opportunity each year to host an Italian student for four to six weeks in June/July and be hosted in Italy in December/January. These exchanges are reciprocal but not simultaneous and are a unique way of educating our young people as global citizens. Please contact Prof. Paola Keller for expressions of interest or further questions. 

Drama 

From contest to controversy: Stories on stage | Ms Sally Lewry, Senior Drama Teacher

Theatre Performance students in Year 12 are excited to be rehearsing a new play, Contest, by contemporary Australian female playwright Emilie Collyer, as part of their coursework. They look forward to presenting this to you early in Term 2. More information about dates and tickets for these performances will be available in the next newsletter! 

Year 11 Drama 3 students are in the research and development stage of devising a Verbatim Documentary Theatre piece on Tasmania’s controversial stadium proposal. They have connected with and interviewed key stakeholders in the community and were privileged to host members of the ‘Our Place, No New Stadium’ group at St Mary’s College for interviews last week. Next, Drama 3 students will meet with members of Bethlehem House and conduct vox pop interviews in the streets of Hobart. Connecting with various community members on this hot local topic has been a rich experience for the students, and we can’t wait to share this work with you in late Term 2.

Bringing the art of clowning to the classroom 

Ms Lewry and Mrs Knauseder had the opportunity to step into the role as students once again last week, attending a professional development workshop with world-renowned performing artist Clint Bolster, a specialist in Clowning, Mask, Commedia Dell'Arte (Italian Theatre), and Physical Theatre. Ms Lewry and Mrs Knauseder have a fresh repertoire of new tricks that they will be bringing to the drama classroom and cannot wait to share with their students!