Murrumbeena P.S. Newsletter

The Sparkle Times

Production Announcement: 

“What was that?” the office ladies cried as a thunderous rumble rang out across Murrumbeena Primary School. No, it wasn’t an earthquake, it was the announcement of what this year's production will be at assembly. All the students were so excited to hear this year’s production that the cheer that erupted from the hall was enough to make the building shake! 

This year we are super excited to announce that the Year 4 -6 students will be performing 'Shrek the Musical Jr’ and have already started auditioning for principal cast roles. The Prep to Year 3 showcase 'Once Upon a Time in Murrumbeena’ will see classes performing songs about famous books.

We know it is only May and the production is still months away, but below is some information so you can all put it in your calendars.

When: The evening of Friday September 8 2023

Where: Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University. 

Tickets: Tickets won’t be on sale until Term 3, but once again, we will offer up to 2 tickets per family to purchase to ensure no family misses out. You will be able to purchase DVDs so that everyone can enjoy watching the performance.

 

More information will be provided closer to the performance.

 

Easter fun at end of term Performing Arts Club

Last Term on the 3 April, the Murrumbeena Grade 6 Arts team held a Performing Arts club for Grade 2s. When the Year 2s arrived, we started with a game of Easter Evolution. The students thoroughly enjoyed this. We then played a few games of musical statues. We ended the session with ‘Just Dance’ games. This was an amazing experience for all of the kids, and our Year 6 Arts Team.

Below are some thoughts about the club from the Grade 2 students who participated:

  • "I think I liked playing Evolution because it was an Easter version. The Grade 6's were really good at spotting who moved during musical statues. I think I would like to go there again!”. - Luca 2N
  • "I liked playing musical statues because you get to dance, and I like dancing. The Grade 6's were stopping the music a lot which made it tricky”. - Dwij 2N
  • “I really liked it because I got to learn a few new games and also play some games I already knew how to play and was already a master at them. The Year 6 students were very enthusiastic and passionate, and they did good judging in musical statues” - Alex 2B

Written by Kaela & Diya

Prep fun in Visual Arts

Wow! What an exciting term for our new 2023 Prep students! The Preps settled into the Visual Arts room in Term 1 beautifully and have thoroughly enjoyed attending their weekly arts lessons. They explored many new materials and got to enjoy creating artworks in different ways each week. Term 2 will bring new projects where Prep students will get to create artworks over multiple art lessons. Some of these projects may even appear at the end of year Visual Arts Exhibition. Ms Marquis is excited to see even more of the creativity from our fabulous Prep’s in Term 2! 

 

Here’s what our Preps had to stay about Visual Arts in Term 1:

  • “I liked painting. I liked seeing the huge Dragon which is in the art room.” - Mayank Prep. G
  • “I like painting. I like seeing all of the artwork in the art room!”. - Anika  Prep G

Painting in Visual Arts with Year Three

The Year Three students completed a huge painting project during Term 1. Students explored how to create different shades/tones using paint and created a large landscape painting that had blended pyramids, animals and other natural features. Ms Marquis is always so impressed with the creative talent of the Year Three students and was extra blown away by the absolutely amazing artworks they had produced by the end of the term. 

 

Below are some of the thoughts from our wonderful Year Three students:

  • “I really liked mixing all the colours. I learnt how to mix colours”. - Chloe. B 3H
  • “I thought it was really cool because we combined lots of art techniques. Collage, painting and blending. I really enjoyed it because Miss Marquis made it really fun”. - Harper 3H
  • “I learnt how to blend colours. I could be really creative and draw any animal I liked. You could use your imagination”. - Parker 3H

This term the Year Three students are taking part in a very special project. You might remember last year’s Year Three students took part in a performance where they used their own handmade Rain Sticks to the song ‘Africa’! It was an AMAZING performance, and so the 2023 Year Three students will be partaking in a special performance later this term. They will be creating their own handmade instruments in Visual Arts which they will then use to perform. The song they will be performing to is currently underwraps but we are very excited for the students to present their artistic talent later this term. No doubt, it will be a showstopper. 

 

Year Fours create a zoo in Visual Arts

The Year Four students were insanely busy in their Visual Art lessons during Term 1 completing two major art projects! Students were very excited to jump straight into modelling by creating their own animal pinch pots. They blew everyone away last year with their fruit bowl pinch pots (which you may have seen at the Art Exhibition). This year they have built upon their skills by learning how to add extra features onto a clay piece. Students had the choice over which type of animal they wanted to create and by the end of the unit there was a whole zoo of animals in the art room. In the second half of the term students explored the art form of photography to tie in with the Inquiry unit they had been exploring in their classrooms: ‘How we express ourselves’. Students were able to investigate a variety of fun photography techniques such as texture, silhouette and rule of thirds. They loved being able to work together in teams and get their creative juices flowing.

 

Below are some of the Year Fours thoughts on the art projects they completed last term: 

  • “For photography I enjoyed experimenting with all the different ways we can take photos”. - Mika
  • “I liked using the clay because we could use our imaginations to make the animals. We could expand our imaginations”. - Scarlett 
  • “I liked the clay because we could choose our animal. We learnt not to make the sculpture too thick or thin”. - Nirvana
  • “I liked creating the clay pinch pot because we could be creative and learnt how to join pieces together”. - Lauren

 

This term students will be creating a series of artworks that depict castles! We will be exploring a variety of art techniques such as drawing, painting and collage. Stay tuned for updates on this fun project!

Year Six Arts Team Member Bio- Mimi (Visual Arts Captain)

Hi, I'm Mimi and I am one of the 2023 Visual Arts Captains. 

 

I didn't really discover my passion for the arts until last year, when Ms Nugent (our absolutely, AMAZING Performing Arts teacher) and Ms Marquis (our incredible, SENSATIONAL Visual Arts teacher) came to Murrumbeena Primary School. Since then I have joined the Visual Art Extension Group, Senior Performers, Year 5 & 6 Street Drumming, and I am auditioning for production. 

 

I wanted to be in the Arts Team because I wanted to sing, act and dance on stage and paint, construct and create in an art room. I never really thought that acting and art was the thing that I was good at and loved. That was until one of my best friends, Posey (Josephine) started drawing, and when I was part of the first production.

 

I also auditioned for production last year, ‘Aladdin’, and while not getting a lead role, I got to sing ‘A Whole New World’ as an ensemble member and, quite literally, got to be a star in the carpet ride scene. I also performed in my class performance, ‘Never Had A Friend Like Me’, Though the dance routine was easier for me as I do Calisthenics, it was stressful, in a good sort of way when I was on stage. But I was also amazed, watching the people I knew quite well (and some not as much) turn into their characters. The excitement and adrenaline made the whole ordeal incredible and made me feel like a starstruck little girl. 

 

This year, we are doing ‘Shrek’ as our school Production and I am looking forward to helping with prop making, auditioning, dancing, singing and being backstage again. I hope all my activities will make me closer to others as well.

 

Thank you!

Mimi 6J