Performing Arts

Communicating with the Specialist Team

We look forward to partnering with you in 2021, and welcome your input:

Penelope Lang (Performing Arts) penelope.lang@education.vic.gov.au 

Victorian State Schools Spectacular

We were lucky enough to get in one last mass dance rehearsal in our school gym before we went back into lockdown. It was great fun dancing with the three other schools and another BIG thank you to Kim Van Hoorn for taking time out of her working week to attend and support our students. We are very grateful. Unfortunately, the mass choir excursion to the city was postponed due to lockdown. I will pass on any new information I receive from the Performing Arts Unit relating to VSSS. Crossing my fingers and toes that the show will go on in front of a live audience.  

School Production  - The Wizard of Oz

As you will now be aware, our school production, which was due to be performed next week, had to be postponed. We have been lucky enough to secure new dates at Burrinja Cultural Center, for Term Four, Week 3. Please make note of these important as follows:

October 19th - Whole School Technical Rehearsal at Burrinja

October 20th - Night One Cast Performance

October 21st - Night Two Cast Performance

Our dress rehearsal will be in Term Four, Week 2 and I will confirm the exact date for this closer to the performance. Our show will definitely be performed and I thank you for your support, flexibility and understanding in these very unpredictable times. We have certainly mastered the art of 'pivoting'. I am super proud of the resilience shown by our students. 

Student Learning

The first three weeks of this term were to be dedicated to polishing and fine tuning the students' class songs and dances for our school production. In week one, the Year Five/Six students were cementing last minute lines and stage directions and were about to have their costumes fitted. We managed to undertake only one of our whole level rehearsals in the gym before we went back into lockdown. Fortunately, these rehearsals were all filmed by the classroom teachers and can now we viewed on each student's google classroom page (please keep rehearsing).

Last week, I ran seven Webex meetings to enable the students to continue rehearsing for our school production. Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who joined me for your online performing arts lesson. It was great to see your smiling faces and I had so much fun (despite my music issues). Needless to say, there is still a lot of work happening behind the scenes in preparation for the Wizard of Oz with costumes still being sewn and props and sets still being painted....including a life sized cow! The challenge will now be in sustaining the student's focus and enthusiasm for another couple of months. It will be totally worth the wait! This week the Five/Six students enjoyed trying on their school production t-shirts for the first time and some classes got to put their feet up (but only for 3 minutes!) and watch their class mates perform their songs and dances.

I have left the 'Production Costumes' letter attached for those of you who still need to source items for our production in Term Four. It would be great if I could have the Year Two boy's white t-shirts as soon as possible.

Warmest regards

Penelope Lang

Production Costumes

I am very excited to have the creative mind and sewing skills of Kelly Ingram who will be overseeing the costume creations for our show this year. We will be providing most of the students’ costumes but we do need your assistance with some basic items. During the holidays it would be great if you could source the following items for your child:

Foundation: 

Girls will need a short sleeve plain white t-shirt and YELLOW leggings (Big W have the leggings). Plain white canvas shoes.

Boys will need a short sleeve plain white t-shirt and RED leggings (Big W have the leggings). Plain white canvas shoes.

Year One: 

All students will need black leggings or jeans, black short sleeve t-shirt, black shoes and socks.

Year Two: 

Girls will need blue denim shorts or skirt and a pair of STRIPED (horizontal) knee high socks or tights in any of these colours: black and white, hot-pink and white, blue and white, orange and white or any fluro colour and white. 

Boys will need ripped denim jeans (black or blue) and a plain white short sleeved t-shirt.

We would love the students to wear bright coloured high-top shoes (fluro would be great) or trainers. You might like to get creative in the holidays and paint your own! 

Year Three/Four: 

We are creating over 35 different costumes. More information will follow but please let me know if you can assist with basic sewing or cutting.

Year Five/Six: 

I will be speaking to each actor individually. Backstage crew will need to wear all black. Our school production t-shirt is also suitable. 

Please let me know if you are able to help us with sourcing the actor’s costumes.