Performance

School assemblies, concerts and the famous Westgarth Primary Musical develop students' confidence in their ability.

Westgarth Primary takes a special pride in its performance program. Classes take turns to perform at the weekly assembly, and classes and special music groups perform at regular concerts and special events. Through these events, children develop confidence in performance situations.

The highlight of the performance program is the triennial school musical (pictured), rightly described by Melbourne's The Age newspaper as "something of an extravaganza". Every child participates in the three performances of the musical, staged in the Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre.

Take a look at photographer Peter Weaving's photos from the 2006 Westgarth Primary School Musical A Stitch In Time. Click to launch the presentation.

You can also take a look back at the 2003 musical, Romanantics, with Peter Weaving's photography plus online video. Click to launch the presentation.

Making the Musical happen

 Former music and performance teacher Heather Connor: 'We want them to shine.'

In December 2005, The Age newspaper highlighted the work of former Westgarth Primary music teacher Heather Connor (pictured below) and the Westgarth students in a detailed story on Westgarth's preparation for its 2005 Christmas concert. Some extracts:

"Every wriggle they make (and there's plenty of them, especially from the boys), betrays the excitement of the forthcoming concert, echoed in schools around the state: a chance to perform, with their school friends, in front of their families. All of the teachers, but especially Connor and art teacher Carolyn Shiels, have been busy ensuring the school gym morphs into a music hall for the day: creating inexpensive props such as bandannas or reindeer antlers or candles, ensuring the students perform as well as possible. As Connor puts it: 'We want them to shine.'

"... Connor runs a tight ship, speaking into a microphone and moving children in and out of rows, nipping any shenanigans in the bud. She arranges them according to roles they have or instruments they are playing, making sure every child can be seen from the audience. They buzz with excitement.

"... The rounds of Junkanoo are progressing well, with all the grade 3/4 students playing the instruments as they should. Lauren concentrates so hard with her maracas she looks as though she has forgotten to breathe.

"... In this class are Liam Haveckin and Nicholas Rosa, two bright 11-year-old boys who want to be engineers when they grow up — Liam civil and Nicholas automotive. After their music class, sitting under a tree in the playground, they say they are looking forward to the concert.

" '(It's) just a chance to show the parents what we have been doing throughout the year,' Nicholas says. Before the concert, they will decorate red and green bandannas made for their class by a teacher's aide, and will help paint baubles to decorate the gym."

Click here for the full test of the Age article of Sunday, 11 December 2005, as illustrated below.