Performing Arts Focus

It's all systems go in the Performing Arts room!

Foundation students

Foundation students will be introduced to the instruments of the orchestra this term. We will learn the families found in the orchestra and the different timbre and pitch made by these instruments. We are starting from percussion and eventually moving on to strings. Thanks to the wide array of instruments in our classroom, students will start by composing ostinatos and performing these with their peers. 

Years 1 & 2

Term two in Performing Arts kicks off with the students learning about the elements of music. We are starting off with rhythm using traditional notation of crochets and quavers. A fun activity you could do at home to reinforce this learning is to create rhythms with your children and get them to respond to your rhythm. You could also add dance moves to the rhythm by stamping your feet. We will follow this up with an introduction to reading and playing pitch. 

Above: Year 2 students listening and responding to Debussy's Claire de Lune.

Years 3 & 4

It is drama, drama and more with drama with the Year 3 & 4 students. If you see any of these children crying as you pass by our classroom, do not fret, they are probably just in character! We started with process drama to build empathy for our characters and to create plot. Our favourite aspect of this unit is probably the various engaging drama games we play as warm ups and improvisation exercises. 

Years 5 & 6

There is plenty of drama brewing in the Years 5 and 6. Our plans to stage a musical over the last two years have been foiled by a certain nasty pandemic, so this year we are pumped to stage “Space Pirates” at the Renaissance Theatre in Kew High on Thursday 16 June (costuming and ticket details will come shortly). 

To all parents whose children are involved in this piece, we have been truly amazed by their commitment, their resilience, and their creativity as we embark on our rehearsals. We can’t wait to show you our final product!

Collaboration with Thornbury HS

To end, watch the video of how amazing our musical collaboration with Thornbury High is and how the benefits are multi-aged. Please enjoy this fantastic interactive experience in anticipation of May 4th tomorrow. May the 4th be with you!

~ Olivia Li & Keri Spence, Performing Arts teachers