Music - learn it young or old and improve your life
15 June 2016
If you're on this website, you probably already think the arts are important in education. Let's focus on music. Read this article about how learning music at a very young age can improve language skills. At the other end of the spectrum, read about how learning to play a musical instrument in old age has a huge range of benefits.
Apart from physical and mental improvements from the act of learning and playing, I think it's also worth mentioning the creative/spiritual side of music - that it can transport, connect and transcend.
Both articles are from The Conversation.
Image: ACO Academy
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Start thinking about next term
14 June 2016
it's a great time to make bookings for Term 3 & 4. We're always ready to help if you can't find what you're looking for
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No work tomorrow!
12 June 2016
Enjoy the long weekend.
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Everyone's looking for the right show for next term.
8 June 2016
Just search on SFS -it makes your life much easier! You're always welcome to contact us, too, for suggestions.
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The Story of A Schools Touring Show in WA
6 June 2016
On the road with Black Swan State Theatre Company, Western Australia
Read the story of how the play Shadowboxing was developed for secondary students and what it was like touring it in regional WA . It became a whole community event in some places. There's a great video link too that says it all. Here
“I liked it because it was realistic and relevant to everyday society. PLEASE do something like this again.” Female student, audience member
Our thanks to by Alena Tompkins, Black Swan Education & Community Access Manager for writing this article.
See what Black Swan are offering schools this year, here
Image: Shadowboxing at Shenton College (photo: Alena Tompkins)
Read more
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Quote of the Week
6 June 2016
I love deadlines. I love the whoosing noise they make as they go by
Douglas Adams
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Enjoy this last day of Autumn!
31 May 2016
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Circus helps Confidence say Ararat Primary Teachers
30 May 2016
"Circus gives students an opportunity to take risks with what they're doing without fear of failure" Principal, Ararat PS
Circus Oz is doing another great show this year for primary students in November, in Melbourne. It's 3 Speed Crunch Box full of great feats and a fun story, performed in their very own Spiegletent. You can combine seeing the show with a circus workshop with the circus oz trainers in their amazing training facilities.
This is the third Circus Oz has been offering a show and workshop package to Primaries - and all who have attended have raved about it.
Impact of circus in Ararat Primary's curriculm
Last year, Ararat Primary came and did both. Circus has been an integral part of the curriculum at the school for a number of years. The principal, Ms Jennifer said
"Circus gives students an opportunity to take risks with what they're doing without fear of failure" she also said, with circus "children know what the next step is, they develop personal goals and the focus is aspiring to do great things"
The Ararat teachers said the confidence that circus skill building gave students was then reflected in their approach to all their learning.
Teachers go the extra mile
We've met so many dedicated teachers through SFS, but the Ararat teachers were a brilliant example of teachers coming up with a great learning idea, developing a coherent program and devoting the time and energy to get it going and keep it going. We met Christine who initiated the program and her explanation of what they had to do to come to the show says it all.
We couldn't afford a bus, so all the students had to meet us at the train station at 7am, one missed it!...we'll get home by 8.30pm if we're lucky. I hope all the parents are waiting at the station!
Circus Oz presents 3 Speed Crunch Box and Workshops, at their home in Collingwood from Tuesday 15 NOVEMBER to Friday 18 NOVEMBER. Details here
(image: Students and staff from St Joseph's Mernda getting into a workshop)
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How one kindy incorporated seeing HIPPO into their curriculum
27 May 2016
by Susan Jenner, Stirling East Kinder, South Australia
"This term our kindergarten has a strong literacy focus and we have a ‘focus story’ each week. To tie in with the performance we chose “There’s a hippopotamus on our roof eating cake” as the focus story for the week of the show. We read this and other books in the ‘series’. We also talked about the hippopotamus at the Adelaide Zoo, Brutus, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday. We researched hippos; where they live, what they eat, how heavy/big they are. We also turned one area of our kindy into a jungle, with jungle animal puppets and figurines (and jungle sounds playing in the background)."
I want to go to this Kinder! (Ed)
Image: Author Hazel Edwards, reading to actress Kaisha, who plays the girl, on the HIPPO set
There's A Hippotomus On Our Roof Eating Cake is on a national tour. Check your closest venue here.
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Hippo hits the National
24 May 2016
Image: Danni Kelly from Kensington Primary with some jungle animals
It was a big day yesterday. Some 1800 people, many of them rather small, enjoyed 3 fab performances of HIPPO. Teachers always create activities around a performance. The Teachers Notes explained there's a section in the show where the audience could wear jungle masks. Danni's group of 90 was well prepared!
Image: The audience heads into see Hippo in the gorgeous National Theatre.
There's A Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake is on tour nationally. Next stop Norwood Concert Hall, Adelaide. Check the tour venues here.
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Quote of the week
24 May 2016
“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.”
Albert Einstein
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Why can we still climb Uluru?
22 May 2016
We all know the local indigenous people don't want anyone climbing the rock. We know they manage the park, how is it then that this option remains a possibility? NT Chief Minister, Adam Giles, fueled the debate last month when he said what a great tourist experience it is. Read this article to understand the compexities involved.
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