Kinross Wolaroi Family Bulletin

Junior School 

Performing Arts

Mrs Katie Sinclair, Junior School Music Coordinator

Co-Curricular Ensembles – Week 10

Tuesday 8th April:  Fusion Dance; Beginner Strings; Junior String Orchestra - ON as usual

Wednesday 9th April: Koristers - OFF 

Thursday 10th April:  UpBeats ON; Junior Concert Band - OFF

All ensembles resume as normal in Week 1 Term 2

Stage 3 Musical Announcement! 

We are thrilled to announce this year's Stage 3 musical as 

"Sally sells seashells (and you can too!)".  

The performances will take place on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 September at the Orange Civic Theatre. All students will participate in either in the chorus or lead ensemble and all students are expected to be at each performance. This is a fantastic community event and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the students' hard work and creative endeavours. Tickets will be available early August.

 

If your child is interested in auditioning for a LEAD part, they must do the following things:

  1. Sign up to audition via the JS Musical HUB page (see info attached  below for how to get here) The Hub - Stage 3. 
  2. Sign up must be done before Friday 11 April 5pm. This is to allow us to create a schedule for auditions which will take place in Week 1 and 2.
  3. NO late entries will be accepted. 
  4. Students should pick up a script from Miss Hamblin's room by the end of term, or access the scripts via the HUB page.
  5. If a students wishes to audition for SALLY (boys are encouraged to audition for this part too), they MUST audition with the "SALLY" script. If a student wishes to audition for any other part, they should practice the "TAM" script. 
  6. Over the holidays, students should practice their part (the other characters will be read by a staff member), and rehearse the songs with the backing tracks - which are available on the HUB page. Students do not need to memorise the script, but they should rehearse it until they are very familiar with it. The more 'life' they can bring to the words, the better. Students should consider facial and body expression / movement and ways they can interact with the other characters when rehearsing.
  7. All students auditioning for any of the LEAD parts are required to sing.
  8. Students who are ONLY interested in auditioning for a CHEERLEADER will be required to participate in a dance audition early next term. Students should indicate this on the sign-up form. 

We are so excited to get our musical preparations underway and look forward to the auditions next term! Any further information will be communicated via the HUB.

Finding JS Musical HUB page.pdf

Supporting Children with Music Practice

  • Playing a musical instrument is cognitively challenging, which is why it is so good for the brain. 
  • Practice is essential for making progress on an instrument. 
  • Practice = fun. Children generally don’t have fun playing an instrument if they have not practiced; in fact, this can lead to children being overwhelmed or despondent about playing. 
  • Students must create a good practice habit every day – like brushing their teeth!
  • Parents need to help children build a practice routine into their family schedule. Families are busy, so help children find a time that works for everyone. For example, tie practice to another routine activity that works for the family, e.g. after I wake up; before/after homework; whilst dinner is cooking; before brushing teeth etc.
  • Ensure the instrument is easily accessible. 
  • Start with the habit of picking up the instrument to practice. Beginners should start at 5-10 minutes at a time, then lengthen this out once the habit is established. Tutors will advise on how much practice they should be doing. 
  • Encourage your child to maintain regular practice, even on the days they don’t feel like it! This helps them to overcome the ‘practice slump’ and establishes resilience. 
  • Playing a piece from start to finish once through is NOT practice! Consult the music diary to see what your child’s music tutor has advised they should be practicing.
  • Have a goal for each lesson. For example;
    • “practice the tricky section in this piece 3 times really slowly until I can play it without stopping”. Next day, repeat the same activity but faster. 
    • Practice a piece that will be videoed for a grandparent or friend or ask the tutor for a performance opportunity at school or in a studio concert. For older children, performance practice can be a huge incentive for perfecting pieces. 
  • Younger children will benefit greatly from a parent that takes an interest in what they are playing. Parents don’t need to be musicians to support their child with instrumental practice, just a cheerleader! Encourage children to be the teacher – get them to teach someone else in the family to play a simple song. 
  • Keep in contact with your child’s tutor to check on their progress. Regular and efficient practice ensures that the tutor can get the most out of the lesson and continue to stretch and challenge your child. 

Here’s a short video with a few more useful tips for supporting children with their musical endeavours. 

https://youtu.be/3mggg5Z4Kik

AMEB Examinations

AMEB Exams are a great way to encourage your child’s musical development by creating a tangible goal to work towards each year. Exams are also an excellent performance opportunity that recognises a students’ progression and achievement through structured grades.

 

Enrolment requests for AMEB exams are due to tutors by Friday 2 May. Please speak with your instrumental teacher to find out whether you need to enrol your child for an AMEB instrumental exam. Exams will be held onsite at School, with exact dates to be confirmed closer to the time. Central West NSW dates are expected to be held between Monday July 28 and Wednesday 20 August 2025.

Contacts 

Information pertaining to our co-curricular groups is regularly posted on the JS Performing Arts HUB. Please make yourself familiar with this page to stay up to date with important information. 

Should you have any queries regarding our ensembles or instrumental tuition please contact us:

Junior School Performing Arts Coordinator, Mrs Katie Sinclair: ksinclair@kws.nsw.edu.au 

Performing Arts Administrator, Mrs Sharon Martin: performingarts@kws.nsw.edu.au