Creative Arts
Creativity, imagination and creative expression come naturally to young children. Building from children’s interest in, and leanings towards, the creative arts, Highfields incorporate Visual Arts, Music, Drama and Dance into all aspects of our programs from Preschool to Year 2.
Visual Arts
Every day children at Highfields are encouraged to both make and appreciate art, developing skills in representing their thinking and identity through visual and creative forms. Drawing, painting, clay work and other visual arts are offered as tools for learning, thinking and connecting with others. Children are introduced to art-making skills as well as give regular opportunities to use the language of art as a way of making meaning.
Music
We want all Highfielders to foster a love of music. Over the course of a week the children have many opportunities to sing, move, play and create music as they develop an understanding of how music works. As well as being a part of everyday life in the classroom, music is taught in specialist music lessons which take place in an incredibly well resourced music room with a highly-qualified music teacher. K-2 children have two music lessons each week. Opportunities to perform are provided in a range of contexts to put music learning into practice. In Year 2 children learn to play the recorder. This provides them with different skills and enables them to learn to read music fluently.
Drama
At Highfields, children experience different types of drama through improvisation, movement, mime, puppetry and play-making. The preparation for and performance of the School Play is an annual highlight. The children work with the teachers to write the script, develop characters and refine their skills as budding actors!
Dance
Through dance, the children immerse themselves in music and movement, exploring how their bodies can speak. As a part of the dance program in K-2, children learn about dance and compose their own dances. Learning experiences invite the children to consider the various elements of dance (action, dynamics, time, space, relationships and structure) and give opportunity to appreciate dances from different times and cultures.
One day per week during lunchtime, interested children from K-2 enjoy a dance session. The children learn simple routines and have fun moving to music. The dance sessions complement – and are in addition to – the sport lessons for Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2, timetabled during the week.