Snapshot of Learning

It has been a busy time for us in the music room and beyond with all of us returning to school. While we had fun dancing, jamming, drumming, and singing new songs online, it was not quite the same as being together and experiencing performing arts together as a community and a school. Like many of the children, we were exhausted after our first week back, although our hearts were full. Here is a snapshot of what each grade has been doing during the last three weeks.

Foundation Students

We spent the first three weeks back in school, connecting with each other, building trust, and collaborating with our peers. We explored pantomime as an artform by imagining worlds and creating a participatory performance together. Some of these stories involved ninjas, diving for treasure, and rescuing a kitten! We further explored our miming skills with the song Jump, Jump, Jump (The Kangaroo Song) by Loco Loco.

The song is so infectious, and it was a real challenge to not sing along! We learnt to follow choreography for the chorus and dance together as a class. The children were then divided into groups where they had to mime actions to the animals stated in the verses and incorporate it into a dance. Watching the children work together, negotiate within their teams, and present their dance with such confidence was very emotional (it made the earworm almost worth it). The students have made so much progress since the beginning of the year and credit is due to the grown-ups and families who have been so patient with remote learning these little ones.

We love a theme in the music room, and the children enjoyed playing Pass The Witch’s Broomstick by Marcia Louis for Halloween.

It is an easy game to play at home and consolidates their knowledge on clapping to a steady beat to the tune once they are “out”.

Year 1&2 Students

The one recurring question from the students since returning onsite is, “Are we going to have a concert?” It has been difficult telling them it is not going to happen again this year. At FPS, we pride ourselves on conducting three concerts a year and it is devastating that we have not been able to have one for the last two years. The skills harnessed from concerts go beyond the performing arts. Even though we will not have a concert this year, we will try to create experiences during the rest of the term where we can nurture curiosity, cultivate confidence, build camaraderie, and just have fun with our classmates.

Since returning onsite we have jumped straight into the spotlight! Our amazing children learnt to dance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in one lesson! In keeping with our Halloween theme, we dressed up in our Halloween costumes and filmed a music video to the song. Throughout the whole five minutes of the song, you will witness their sophisticated ability to learn and remember choreography and dance in synch with each other. Part of the brief was to create dramatic tension and vignettes of spooky episodes. I think they have successfully done the latter and also added plenty of comedic moments. We had the best time filming the videos and would like to thank students Mathilda, Rosie, Lulu, Sophie, Ava, Juliet and Kiran for filming us. This week, we were able to sing in class and also started our ukulele ensembles. We can’t wait to showcase both soon.

Year 1 Music Video

Year 2 Music Video

Year 3&4 Students

Our students have worked tirelessly during remote learning to rehearse dance styles from different decades. Now that we’re back on-site, we get the joy of putting all that work into action.

Over the next few weeks, we will be rehearsing dances and creating a music video compilation that takes you on a journey through time and dance. Some of the dances we have been working on are sure to get your toes tapping too! We look forward to sharing the result of all this hard work towards the end of the term.

Year 5 Students

While learning at home, the students have been using their musical skills to create sound tracks and to play music in time with each other. Now that we are all back together, we will be focusing on ensemble work and start our mini-band project. Students will be learning chords on a range of instruments, as well as how to play a basic rock beat on a drum-kit. We will then combine all this knowledge and refine our ensemble performance skills, by rehearsing and performing a song chosen by the students in small groups.

Year 6 Students

It's the time of year that our Year 6 students start to get ready for graduation! We don’t want to give too much away, but this year’s performances are going to be spectacular. Each grade has selected a song to perform and the whole grade has chosen a song they will perform all together at the ceremony. With the countdown on, we are working tirelessly to get ready for a final celebration at FPS.

An Acknowledgement

The students in Years 5 and 6 have shown so much strength, adaptability and resilience this year, particularly in terms of our musical. They have rehearsed, planned and prepared to perform this concert, not once, but twice.

When we returned to school, the cast members were asked if they wanted to record their concert and share it virtually, or just to enjoy their last few weeks FPS with their friends. Being the determined and exceptional children they are, they elected to record and share all their hard work. Over the next few weeks, we will be refreshing our lines, with the hope of filming our Year 5/6 musical the week starting 22 November. I just want to finish by saying how enormously proud I am over every single student in Year 5 and 6, for all their commitment and tenacity. I can’t wait for you to see how talented our FPS performers are!

Brass, Orchestra and Choir

We have started Brass, Orchestra and Choir and are following the COVID-safe guidelines. Brass will occur on the following dates:

Tuesday 9 November
Tuesday 23 November
Tuesday 7 December

Please remember to bring your instruments. We hope to have our annual Christmas Concert this year and will keep families updated with our progress with it.

~ Keri Spence & Olivia Li, Performing Arts Teachers

Community News

Tennis Lessons at FPS