Music and Performing Arts

Hola! Amazing Newlands Community. Our wonderful students from Foundation to Year 6 have been immersed in a vibrant and engaging Performing Arts curriculum, where each year level has explored different aspects of music and movement. Here’s a snapshot of what our young learners have been up to:

Our Foundation students have been developing their body awareness, mobility, creativity, and teamwork through fun performance and drama games such as Dancing Statues and Bibiti Bibiti Bob. They also discovered the rhythms of the KissKass, a playful shaker from African cultures, and learned how to use their voices to hum along with melodies. To round out their experience, students began exploring melodic instruments through the xylophone, learning how to hold mallets properly, recognise the musical notes on the plates, and play simple tunes.

In Years 1 and 2, students have been learning about musical elements with a special focus on differentiating between beat and rhythm. They worked both independently and in groups to create rhythmic patterns using clapsticks, building their understanding of timing and coordination. Alongside this, they were introduced to note values such as the whole note, half note, and quarter note (crotchet), practising them through the vocal sounds “Ta” and “Ti-Ti.” These activities are helping students develop a strong foundation in rhythm and notation.

Our Years 3 and 4 students have enjoyed lively rhythmic stomp games, drumming circles, and worked on developing percussion parts and choreography to bring the song Stand 'Up, Be Loud, Speak Now' to life. They have also learned about the Aboriginal music composition process, exploring the instruments used and the cultural significance of music in Aboriginal traditions. To extend their instrumental skills, students explored the ukulele, learning fun facts, basic notes, and chords, and they shared their research with the class. This hands-on and collaborative approach has deepened both their musical knowledge and their appreciation for diverse cultures.

Finally, our Years 5 and 6 students have taken their learning even further by combining rhythm, instrumental performance, and cultural study. Like the Year 3/4 cohort, they delved into the importance of music in Aboriginal culture, appreciating its role in storytelling and community connection, and presented their findings to their peers. In addition, they expanded their understanding of the ukulele, applying basic notes and chords in practice sessions, while also enjoying interactive games that tested their growing musical knowledge.

It has been wonderful to see every student from Foundation to Year 6 embrace music and performing arts with such enthusiasm, creativity, and joy. We are proud of their achievements so far and look forward to more exciting learning and performances in the weeks ahead.

Felipe Paz

Music & Performing Arts teacher