Performing Arts and Drumbeat

 

 

It was great meeting a few parents at the Acquaintance Night this year. I am hoping to be able to have a few more performances this year to showcase what the students have been doing in class – Information will come to parents/ carers about these.

This year we are looking at our cultures, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures. Year 2’s, 3’s and Receptions will do this in Performing Arts and Visual Arts with Cate and we will showcase this at the end of each unit. In this unit we are looking at how storytelling is used in all cultures, in various forms – (story telling, books, media, dance, drama, pictures, video games, cartoons, film etc.), to teach our beliefs, values, way of doing things, interests, family connections, safety, roles and responsibilities.

Reception classes have a double lesson each week, rotating each term to cover Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Design & Technology, and Science. Year 1 classes have Performing Arts for a semester and D&T for a semester. Year 2’s and 3’s will rotate in 13 week blocks for Performing Arts, Visual Arts and D&T. Year 4/5’s will have a semester of Visual Arts and one semester of D&T. year 6/7’s will have a semester of P Arts swapping with D&T.

We start each lesson ( R-3), by lying down and listening to some music to settle down and become mindful of our learning. We have also been learning the Australian National Anthem in one of the many Aboriginal Languages.

       

Drumbeat is a program that uses drumming and rhythm to explore emotions, feelings, healthy relationships, peer pressure and other issues relevant to young people, including bullying. We have been successfully running this program with the year 5-7’s for a few years now and students have been keen to continue it after the 10 week block of time they have done it – this led to us offering it to year 6’s and 7’s as well. All year 5 students are having a 10 week turn this year. Lesley McFarlane’s 6/7 class have opted to take the term 1 slot with Peta’s 6/7 class opting for term 2. I am looking to see how we can fit in sessions for the year 4’s this year, running a similar program called Rhythm2Recovery.