Performing Arts
Communicating with the Specialist Team
We look forward to partnering with you in 2020, and welcome your input:
Penelope Lang (Performing Arts) lang.penelope.l@edumail.vic.gov.au
In the next edition of our newsletter, we will provide you with an overview of the curriculum focus for each level across our school.
An Overview of our Learning
Performing Arts (weeks 3 and 4)
It has been so wonderful being back in my room after some extended sick leave. Thank you for all of your beautiful Christmas cards and gifts and for sending me so many words of kindness and well wishes. This year is going to be amazing!
Our focus this semester is Music. In addition to the learning below students were also informed about instrumental lessons (forms at the office), VSSS auditions and the commencement of the USPS choir (which 65 people turned up to!).
Foundation:
The students spent some time exploring the Performing Arts room and discussing all of the different things we do in Performing Arts. They sang the class roll and worked on their spatial awareness, including facing the front, the back, moving to the side and making class circles.
This week we watched “The Music Show” and I introduced the concept of beat and rhythm. The students tried marching to a steady beat and sang the mantra, ‘I can keep a steady beat’ and ‘the beat is in my feet’. We used hands, tambourines and rhythm sticks to echo beats that changed in tempo.
Year One/ Two:
We played a fun ‘Alphabet Holiday’ game that tested the students fast thinking skills and creative imaginations. We then used the tune from the Alphabet song (did you know it was the same tune as Twinkle, Twinkle?) to highlight the difference between beat and rhythm. They worked with a partner and played a short melody to the class (one person was beat, the other rhythm) using body percussion.
This week we used chopsticks to tap different beats and rhythms using the song ‘Believer’ as our backing track. We learned that the beat is the heart of music and that beat can be steady, fast and slow. We sang ‘I am Children of the World’.
Year Three/ Four:
We recapped our school wide positive behaviours for learning and discussed what respectful learners look and sound like in Performing Arts lessons. We sang the song ‘Head Shoulders Knees and Toes’ to develop the students ‘inner hearing’ ie keeping a beat going inside their head. Some classes sang ‘Who Stole the Cookie?’ which challenged their beat keeping skills.
This week we are recapping the names used in rhythmic notation (Ta, Ti-ti and Za) and will begin to perform simple rhythmic patterns and move towards creating unique compositions.
Year Five/ Six:
We used the well-known song, ‘Happy Birthday’ to highlight the difference between beat and rhythm and played ‘Pass the Beat Around the Room’ to re-enforce the importance of keeping a steady beat.
This week the students will receive their ‘Music Poster Project’ checklist. They will be given the opportunity to spend some class time researching and planning the content for a written poster and oral presentation on a performer of their choice. They will be due in the first week of Term 2. Please discuss the poster with your child.
We are starting a School Band!!!
Dear Upwey South Parents,
It has been a dream of ours for quite some time to start a Year 5/6 band at USPS. We have many talented musicians and a passionate team of instrumental teachers. We are really hoping to start our school band in Term 2. We do, however, need some additional musical instruments and equipment before we can get started. We are calling on anyone who might be able to donate any of the following to the school.
Here is what we need:
Electric Guitar
Bass Guitar
Guitar Amp
Bass Amp
Mixing Desk - 12 Channels or More
Guitar Stand Rack or 3 x Individual Stands
Vocal Mics x 4
Mic Stands x 4
XLR Leads x 5
Guitar Leads x 5
We thank you kindly in advance for your donations!
Penelope and the Groove Foundations Team - Jordan, Jed and Amaris