Art programs are a vital part of school education. They allow students to express themselves creatively and connect with others in meaningful ways. School cocurricular activities such as choir, Dance Company, concert band, string ensemble, Young Playwrights Club and Art Club, offer students of Girls Grammar opportunities to showcase their talents and develop their artistic abilities.
At the primary level, students participate in the primary choir where they learn how to sing in a group and perform in front of an audience. In secondary school, programs like Molti Voce and Bella Voce offer opportunities to compete at a higher level, such as the Rockhampton Eisteddfod which will be held in May. These competitions can be a rewarding experience for students as they can showcase their talents and compete against their peers.
In the music classroom, primary students have been exploring the elements of music through the Connect program. Students listen to all different genres of music and evaluate the pieces and describe what they are listening to. This year the Year 2 students started violin lessons through the string program provided by the school. The girls were very excited to take their violins home to practice and play for their families. The Year 6 students explored graphic notation this term and wrote their very own ‘Whale Song’ after studying and learning all about the beautiful music that whales make. The Year 7 music class is learning about the instruments of the orchestra, and how sound is manipulated to create pieces of music that represent animals.
Girls Grammar also offers programs like DJing, which teaches students how to use music software and equipment to create and manipulate music. This program is available to students in Years 8, 9, and 10, and can be useful for students interested in pursuing a career in music production or DJing.
Senior music students have been working hard all term to prepare a piece or song for the performance portion of their internal assessments.
In Drama and Dance, Year 7 students have been exploring the subjects through short quizzes and practical activities that relate to the Elements of Dance and Drama. Meanwhile, in Drama, students in Years 8 and 9 have been writing scripts in the style of Collage Drama that draw from their own life experiences, which they will perform next term. In contrast, Drama for Year 10 has been focused on the conventions and style of Greek Drama, culminating in a comedic performance. The senior Drama class has been examining a more realistic style, as they recently performed "Snagged".
In Dance, Year 8, 9, and 10 girls have been working diligently on a Fosse style dance in small groups. In the senior Dance classes, Year 11 students performed a contemporary dance with the theme "we want more", while Year 12 students worked on choreographing a dance to communicate a viewpoint about an issue in society. Primary Dance classes have also started for the year and students are enjoying creating dances based on characters from Encanto, Moana, and The Little Mermaid, as well as dancing as undersea animals.
This year, there is a strong Dance Company with nine students who were selected through auditions. They are working towards a competition in Term 3, where they will perform three new dances. Some of the students also had the opportunity to showcase their hard work with a group number and solos at the Girls Grammar Long Lunch event. The Dance Company is looking forward to a promising year with such a talented group of performers!
Rehearsals are well underway for this year’s school musical Anastasia. Congratulations to every single student who auditioned to be in the musical, and to those students who went out of their comfort zone to audition for a lead role. The talent we have here at Girls Grammar is truly amazing! Keep 4-6 August free in your calendars to come along and support these girls on stage.
Congratulations go out to all the participants of the annual SHEP programs, which were organised by The Conservatorium of Music. Throughout the weekend, the students dedicated themselves to practicing challenging pieces, culminating in a concert that showcased their diligent efforts to their loved ones.
Year 7 Art classes took part in a special workshop on Friday 17 February hosted by Mandandanji/Noonuccal woman Kirralee Costelloe of Maiarla Dreaming.
Kirralee was invited to share an Indigenous perspective storytelling through art as the students made their way through a unit exploring the concept of telling stories through their own artwork.
Well done and congratulations to students Claudia Heffer and Alessandra Williams, and staff Jessica Dawes, Emma Girle, and Sophie Harwood who were involved in a fantastic season of ‘Into the Woods’ produced by the Rockhampton Regional Council.
As we can see from the wide variety of activities and programs offered at Rockhampton Girls Grammar, the Arts play a crucial role in the school's curriculum, and students benefit greatly from the opportunities available to them. We look forward to a very creative Term 2.
Jessica Dawes
Arts Subject Area Coordinator