Congratulations and Thanks to our Instrumental Music Students.
Bravo to all out Instrumental Music students for their wonderful performances in their IM Neighbourhood Concerts on Friday 26th November. Due to safe COVID practices, we really missed sharing our achievements and having a hearty sing-along in a big evening concert with our families. Instead though, we were delighted that the performances were enjoyed by the students and teachers in 3 Neighbourhood Bubble Concerts, and hope that families were able to tune in to these as a live streamed event.
Like last year, our IM students and teachers are to be commended for ‘hanging in there’ with their online lessons for the long Lockdown weeks. Our Year 2 beginners this year, and current Year 3s have demonstrated impressive resilience, and the progress they have made is excellent. Everyone was extremely happy to be back at school and performing in their lesson groups. The IM teachers remarked that despite such a long time apart, the student’s ensemble skills pulled together quickly as they were so keen to be playing together again. We really enjoyed these day time concerts and extend a big thank you to Richard and his super tech crew for sound support and for streaming our concerts live for our community share. Thank you too, to the MC’s who introduced all the performers and the program items through out the day: you did a great job. The students and all at PHPS thank our IM teachers Mark, Mitchell, Sasha, Rose, Kylie and Jennifer Timmings who assisted in Term 3, for another wonderful year of progress which is all the more meaningful due to the challenging Lockdowns.
I would like to congratulate our Yr 6 IM students, most of whom have been in the IM program for 5 years. A big Bravo to you. Thank you for being inspiring learners and performers. We wish you all the very best with you musical education as you engage with secondary school music departments where you will thrive!
Every year IM is supported by many across the school in ways that are not always visible, and their help ensures that our program can continue. Thank you to the Leadership Team and especially Richard for all the ‘go to’ and tech support the program needs. Thanks to Julie, Jacquee and Amanda in the office, and to all the teachers for supporting the students week by week. A big thank you to the students and to their families who support them.
All of a sudden, we are in the second last week of Term. Inquiries and provocations are rounding out to completion and the school is busy looking ahead to next year as we transition students to their new Neighbourhoods and welcome the Preps of 2022 in their Orientation Program. The last 2 weeks have been exciting and soooo condensed! It was absolutely delightful to join in with the Prep’s Grand Parent’s Day last Wednesday. This was, in every way, a special occasion, and it was with joyous relief that we welcomed family members into the school grounds. The Preps were perfect hosts by sharing their learning and proudly showing their grand parents their Neighbourhood. We enjoyed demonstrating how we make music with Boomwhakers, and sang Fa La Nanna Bambino, which happened to be the Prep’s first whole Neighbourhood sing together since Term 1: such was this year.
The other big focus of excitement is the Yr 6 Graduation. The students have chosen 5 super special songs to make up their Graduation Song for this year, and I’m really impressed with how they have made this song come to life. All our rehearsals have been outside, until today when we sang in the Gym. Singing outside is tough work: all our sound vanishes as quickly as it’s made, but today the students sounded terrific in the gym. Our Grad Band has been working hard to learn their parts, and we are super delighted to invite some yr 5 students into the band as well. We are also very excited to welcome back Arlo Fennessy, who graduated last year, to play the drum kit.
This has been another big year with some wonderful outcomes. In 2022, we look forward to launching, and making happen, our before school choir ‘Bright Morning Stars’ with Emily Hayes, and to integrating our spirit of music with the performing arts. Thanks to all for a fulfilling music filled 2021, I wish every one a happy, relaxing and safe holiday, and I look forward to a wonderful 2022.
All the best, cheerio Deb.