It’s been a tremendous couple of weeks of community celebration across the school, and although the end of the year can feel like it’s all about completing projects and packing up, there is a lot of seed sowing happening too. Our students have accomplished so much this year and their potential for what they will achieve next year is already bursting with enthusiasm! Since clocking into December we have enjoyed the Talent Show Assembly, the Preps’ Grandparents’ Day, celebrated our Yr 6s at the Graduation, and we have lifted the stars at our School Expo, Picnic and Concert Sing-Along. Please read on!

The Bazaar Talent Show and Assembly infuse our students with enthusiasm and dreams. These opportunities encourage students to share their talents and skills with friends, and to learn from each other as they prepare their own performances. It was fantastic to see so many presentations from the junior school, and to watch the younger students feel the ‘Wow!’ of admiration when watching the older students performing. Students were encouraged to perform in Neighbourhood Variety Concerts during which they received peer feedback and presentation tips. From these concerts, over thirty performances were selected from across the school for the Bazaar Talent Show and Assembly. At the Talent Assembly we were treated to budding gymnastics/dance routines and piano playing from the Preps, and singing – with live cartwheels as a backdrop, a smooth Macarena dance and speed Rubik’s Cube solving from the Yr 12s. The Yr 34s and 45s featured dance, Rock ‘n’ Roll guitar, singing, a video presentation, gymnastics inspired dance and speed origami. All of the students created their own item, and it was great to see how this opportunity to perform inspired creativity and bolstered confidence. Bravo to everyone, and in particular to Henry from Yr 12 who wrote and performed his own song inspired by Minecraft games.

We were delighted to welcome so many special Grandparents and friends along to the Preps’ Grandparents morning which was held in the glow of gentle morning sunshine. Our Preps are soooo very ready for Year 1! They were impressive performers for the youngest of our community, next year’s Preps at Prep Orientation, and were outstanding again for our senior visitors. Songs are a wonderful way to grow bridges between generations and the Preps decided that it would be a special gesture of affection to sing That’s Amore from the 1950s hit Movie ‘The Caddy’. To their delight, many of the Grandparents sang along too. We also sang Jingle Bells, and then demonstrated our ‘trainee’ one-step version of The Nutbush by progressing the dance to all points of the compass with precision. Bravo and thank you Preps.

… and our Year 6s sang ‘Gather round people, we’re ending a story. A seven year story of your growing child. It started with Tomo, Laura and Maddy. With animal facts we learnt how to write. From little things big things grow…’ To see this year’s Year 6s graduate has completely stopped me in my tracks, they were, only yesterday, rolling playfully around as ‘Prepies’, or creating a drama performance which shared their own narrative of how the lorikeet came to be so colourful. This, their stunning Year 1 Inquiry, was complete with sound tracks, dance, costumes and a ‘Paradise Curtain’ which still hangs proudly in the entrance hall to Year 1 Ngh. As a cohort that stayed together for their Year 1 and 2, they identified as a strong creative group. So many songs could have been chosen for their Graduation Medley, for they have written the lyrics for many, so I was delighted that they wrote their own words to ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ and ‘That’s Amore’, and tweaked the words of the Back Street Boys hit ‘I Want it That way’ to resonate with this special occasion.

The year 6 Graduation was exciting, colourful, exuberant and a real celebration. Bravo to all the students for all they contributed to the evening, the focussed speeches and reflections, and their commitment to their song which they performed with whole hearted gusto! A big thank you and congratulations to all for their singing, and especially to the members of the Grad Band who put in a lot of extra time learning and rehearsing their parts. It is always a proud moment to introduce the Grad Band. Made up mostly of students, it’s an important mile-stone that the students accompany their song. This year we welcomed David and Huey from Year 4, and Tucker and Felix from Year 5, and also John from the 56 Ngh, Nick on bass, and Banjo’s Dad Nick playing baritone saxophone. Bravo to our flautists Scarlett and Olivia, the Uke players Harry, Claudia, Mia, Ash, Seb, Tris and Ozzy, the string section of Karl and David playing cello with Jess and Ziyu on Violin, and the sax trio with Banjo, Huey and Tucker. Congratulations and thank you to Ziyu and Tucker for their fabulous solos, and for their continued dedication to their instrumental learning. Also, a big thank you to Richard and the leadership team for the investment in upgrading the sound tech in the gym. Richard has spent hours researching how to do this, hours in consultation during the installation of the system, and hours of fun shopping! We all have our ‘L Plates’ on with the new sound gear, but already, the ability to amplify live music and drama in the Gym is greatly improved and the students’ efforts are worth all the support through presentation that we can give. Thanks heaps Richard, and thank you Yr 6s for ‘test driving’ our new gear: you have set the bar high! A big thank you, too, to Penny and Emily for heading up the dedicated team of parents who decorated the Gym and provided dinner for the students. The gym looked superb. Full of joy and colour to resonate with the theme of a lolly shop, and complete with potted palms! Did the evening end with a Disco to remember? Ooooo yes…

One of the wonderful things to grow so lovingly this year the collaboration of our parents and carers in our students’ music making. This has become ever more strongly expressed in our assemblies when our community join in with the songs we sing to celebrate special occasions, but my thanks go to Emily for creating the Parents and Carers/Student Choir, formed especially to perform at the Bazaar, and also to Esmé and Eddie Perfect for their vision of a Parent/Carer Orchestra for the School Expo. Two new traditions have been established, and my how our ears and hearts have lit up. Sooooo many children are sooooo proud to see their parents/carers singing with them and playing in the Parent Christmas Orchestra for the Bazaar. Thank you to all the parents and members of our community who inspire and connect us to our dreams and each other, through your expertise, and generous time. It was an absolute joy and thrill to imagine, prepare for, present and share with everyone the performances of the songs at our Expo Concert Sing-Along. Thank you to everyone for rising up, in spite of the melting late afternoon heat, to bring home that ‘What a Wonderful World’ feeling. The Parent Christmas Band was a swinging, and the students, teachers, admin friends and families were all singing: Just Fabulous, and a huge ‘Community Hug’ of thanks to Eddie!

As this is the final Talking Point for the year, a huge thank you to so many people who support the very many aspects of our musical life at PHPS. We can only grow and inspire our children thanks to combined dreams, time and work so many folk put in across our whole school community. Whether you support, facilitate, teach, create or make music, or beam bright with encouragement: Thank you.

We have one more special event to share with you, and that is our Final Assembly at 9:15am on Wednesday 20th December when we will farewell our Year 6s, and declare that ‘School’s Out for Summer’. Have a happy and safe break, cheerio, Deb🥰🎄