Performing Arts
Foundation
In Week 3, Foundation students explored the concept of dynamics—how music can be loud or soft. Through singing and playing percussion instruments, they practised adjusting their volume in response to visual cues. Students took turns leading the class in a dynamic version of Old MacDonald Had a Farm, using loud and soft cards or hand signals to change how everyone sang. They also learned that quiet or soft is called piano in music while loud is called forte. Students then experimented with these dynamics on the drums!
In Week 5, students had fun experimenting with tempo—how fast or slow music can be. Using their bodies and percussion instruments, they followed different tempos in music tracks and even acted like fast and slow animals! They particularly enjoyed leading their classmates in a Follow the Leader activity, where they played an instrument at different speeds while others moved to match the sound.
Oscar (FC): “We were learning loud and soft.”
Lexi (FC): “We played the shakers!”
Zade (FB): “We were learning forte and piano.”
Jem (FC): “I shaked slowly for soft.”
Julia (FC): “I can shake it hard to make loud.”
Savannah (FB): “I played the drums loud.”
Affan (FC): “I played the maracas loud.”
Daniela (FC): “I was playing the triangles fast- presto!”
Brooklyn (FA): “I learned how to play fast and slow.”
Annabelle (FA): “I was learning how to play music fast and slow.”
Images: Week 4- Students exploring loud and soft sounds in music
Images: Week 5- Students exploring fast and slow sounds (tempo) in music
Year 1-2
In Week 4, students explored the Dreamtime story Tiddalick the Frog through drama, focusing on how to represent characters using voice, facial expressions and movement. Year 1 students worked in small groups to act out key scenes from the story. While the teacher narrated, each group performed their part, using big expressions and clear actions to show the characters’ feelings and the events of the story. Year 2 students took part in a Hot Seat activity, answering questions in the role of characters from the story. They used expressive voices and facial expressions to respond as Tiddalick, the Eel or other animals, showing their understanding of each character’s thoughts and feelings.
This lesson connected to Aboriginal culture and its tradition of storytelling, helping students appreciate the deeper meanings behind the characters and their actions.
In Week 5, students explored How the Birds Got Their Colours through tableaux, a drama technique where students create frozen images to show key moments in a story. This technique is important because it helps communicate meaning without words, encouraging students to use skills, such as clear body language and expressive facial expressions. Working in groups, they created still images to capture important scenes, such as the injured bird being helped by others. This lesson helped students understand how emotions and actions can be shown without speaking and connected to Aboriginal cultural storytelling.
Charlotte (2B): “Today we’ve been learning about Aboriginal people and how they lived.”
Saskia (2B): “We have been acting out and guessing Australian animals from the Tiddalick story.”
Hasan (2B): “We listened to Aboriginal music and closed our eyes and imagined living in the Dreamtime.”
Armani (2C): “We were doing scenes and actions of an injured bird and kind words that were helping.”
Ivaan (2C): “We learnt something called tableaux. We had to act like a group of birds discovering their colourful feathers."
Ayla (2C): “We were doing some acting and I was the bird that was helping.”
Azlaan (2C): “I was the bird with the new colours.”
Hafsa (1A): “Today, we were doing tableaux of How the Birds Got Their Colours.”
Leo (1A): “We were acting out How the Birds Got Their Colours.”
Himmat (1A): “I did actions for the crow!”
Images: Week 4- Students portraying characters from Dreamtime stories
Images: Week 5- Students representing scenes from a Dreamtime story using tableaux
Year 3-4
In Week 4, Year 3 and 4 students learned a new note on the recorder- the low D. They then applied their knowledge of previous notes B, A and G to learn a new song, Rain Rain Go Away, which incorporated B, A, G and D. Students reviewed the anchor chart on correct playing techniques, such as proper finger placement and breathing and practised transitioning smoothly between notes. It has been wonderful to see how much students have developed their playing skills and the enthusiasm they show each lesson.
In Week 5, students selected a song from the repertoire of previous weeks that suited their ability. They practised independently or with a partner and then performed their chosen song for assessment. Afterwards, they reflected on their performance by identifying something they were proud of and an area for improvement, highlighting the importance of effort and improvement in their music skills.
Yohan (4C): “I was learning harder songs like the Harry Potter theme song and Pirates of the Caribbean."
Bella (4B); “I started learning the recorder and it was easy and a little hard with putting my fingers on so it didn’t squeak.”
Patrisiya (4B): “It was so fun when we were playing the recorder and we were learning a new song.”
“When you learn something new, you get better at it.”
Josiah (4C): “Today we learned a new song called Fight Song.”
Harry (4C): “Some people learned a new song today and thought it was challenging”
Abigail (4C): “We learned a new song which was kind of challenging because it had new notes but I gave it a go.”
Images: Week 5- Students rehearsing and performing their assessment pieces
Year 5-6
In Week 4, Year 5 and 6 students focused on filming their Dreamtime movie trailer scenes on location at the school. They decided which drama elements to use, such as facial expressions, movement and space to represent their stories and characters, while avoiding spoilers to maintain the purpose of a movie trailer. Groups also focused on whether to use still shots or video footage, experimenting with camera angles to frame each scene effectively. This helped students understand how performance choices and filming techniques work together to enhance storytelling.
In Week 5, students used iMovie trailer templates to create their Dreamtime movie trailers. They imported their footage, trimmed scenes for clarity and added text narration. Students focused on sequencing their footage to ensure a clear flow and strong dramatic impact as they assembled their final versions which they then presented to the class. Peers provided feedback and students reflected on how drama elements, such as character portrayal and representation of events contributed to telling their stories in an engaging and suspenseful way. The creativity, attention to detail and quality of the final trailers were outstanding!
Aleisha (5C): “It was really fun acting out the scenes of Tiddalick the Frog with all my friends.”
“It was exciting to present our drama project after weeks of working on it!”
Rylie (5D): “We liked watching 5C film their trailers outside!”
Josh (5C): “It was fun acting as the characters in the story How the Kangaroo Got Its Pouch.”
Holly (5C): “Today was a unique lesson and we got to do something different. We got to film and make video trailers!”
Mohamed (5C): “It was good making a trailer and trying out something new.”
Prish (5C): “We are now creating and editing our trailer. It is good to do something new.”
Jobe (5C): “The sandpit was our filming location.”
Taylor (6C): “The past few weeks we have been learning how to make a movie trailer. My group and I did How the Bird Got Their Colours.”
Divjot (6C): “I liked how we used iMovie to make our movie trailer.”
Havana (6B): “The movie project was very experimental and doing something new in Performing Arts.”
Quinn (6B): “It was exciting to present and film aboriginal culture in Performing Arts! These lessons used so much creativity.”
Images: Week 4- Groups filming their movie trailers using drama elements
Images: Week 5- Students creating, editing and presenting their movie trailers
STEM
Science Week
Over the last fortnight, our classrooms have been fizzing, bubbling and foaming as students across the school celebrated Science Week by diving into the world of chemical reactions.
We started with a classic experiment using bi-carb soda and vinegar, where students investigated the question: “Does adding dish soap affect the chemical reaction?” Together, we discovered that while vinegar and bi-carb create bubbling carbon dioxide gas on their own, adding dish soap captures the gas and transforms it into a much stronger, foamier reaction.
Building on this excitement, students then experimented with the famous Elephant’s Toothpaste reaction, comparing concentrated dish soap with diluted dish soap to see which would produce the foamiest eruption. This experiment gave everyone the chance to think like scientists, testing variables and recording observations while also having a lot of fun!
- Our younger students used these hands-on activities to explore how different chemicals react with one another and to begin discussing the properties of materials in everyday life.
- Our older students extended their learning by linking the experiments to the study of acids and alkalis, beginning to build their understanding of the pH scale as a foundation for future science learning.
Science Week has been an opportunity for every student to explore, question and experiment. Over the past two weeks, our school has truly embraced the spirit of curiosity, proving that science is not just something you read about in a book, but something you can see, touch and experience firsthand.
PrintACar Challenge:
After months of hard work, two Craigieburn Primary School teams proudly attended the PrintACar Challenge at Quantum Victoria – A Centre of Excellence and Innovation in STEM Education.
Throughout the last semester, our Year 6 students dedicated themselves to the full design process. They planned, designed, 3D-printed, tested, and reprinted (many, many times!) their very own original car designs. This persistence and creativity paid off when the teams took their cars to the competition track.
At Quantum Victoria, a CO₂ canister was added to each car, sending them rocketing down the race track at thrilling speeds of over 50 km/h! The atmosphere was filled with excitement as the students witnessed the results of their months of innovation in action.
We are eagerly awaiting the final competition results this week, but regardless of the outcome, a big congratulations goes to our Year 6 students for their determination, teamwork and for doing an outstanding job representing Craigieburn Primary School.
ACER Video Game Design Challenge
Craigieburn Primary School is incredibly proud to celebrate the success of Onel from 6D, who achieved an outstanding fifth place in the National STEM Video Game Design Challenge. This competition brings together students from across Australia to showcase their creativity, problem-solving skills and coding abilities in the exciting field of game design.
Onel dedicated many hours outside of class time to bring his vision to life, combining block coding with JavaScript to create his own original game, titled “Darkness”. The game challenges players with clever design, engaging gameplay and unique features that highlight both Onel’s imagination and his growing technical expertise.
Competing at a national level is no small achievement. Onel’s ranking demonstrates not only his strong coding skills but also his persistence, creativity and willingness to take on new challenges. His efforts are a testament to what young learners can accomplish when given the opportunity to explore STEM fields and pursue their passions.
The entire Craigieburn Primary community congratulates Onel on this remarkable accomplishment. We are excited to see how he continues to develop his talent and inspire others in STEM and digital technologies.
