More than Music: Empowering Minds and Building Community
This week we have seen over 300 of our students across Junior and Senior School come together to perform for their families. Music and dance are part of the essential curriculum for every student at the College. We also provide opportunities for students to participate in music and dance groups after school or at lunchtimes.
Everyone knows making music is fun, but music education also provides a myriad of benefits to your brain, physical and mental health, and general well-being.
In 2019, a report commissioned by the Tony Foundation evaluating music education in Australian schools (independent and public schools across every state) found that the benefits of a quality music education include:
Understanding space and time: Music learning is a tool to develop spatial awareness, which in turn assists with the development of logic processing.
Helping attitudes, behaviours and teamwork: Music learning fosters empathy on both an emotional and cognitive level. It also promotes prosocial behaviour and effective teamwork due to the rich opportunity to nurture positive citizenship skills [through the music ensemble experience] that includes respect, equality, sharing, cohesion, teamwork, and, above all, the enhancement of listening as a major constituent of understanding and cooperation.
Processing sound: Music learning is a tool to train the auditory processing system to function effectively. It is for this reason that many music education methodologies begin at the age of 1 and why music learning is seen as a complementary learning activity during K-2 when children are refining their language skills and learning how to read.
Assigning sound to symbols: Music learning supports the process from verbal language to reading, writing and understanding language. It is for this reason research has found that musically trained children perform better in standardised tests on language; acquire language including words, syntax and prosody more effectively and earlier; and utilise language more effectively.
Logic processing: Music learning is a tool to train the logic and sensory structures and functions of the brain to develop in a highly effective way. It is for this reason that there are strong correlations between academic attainment and music learning.
Memory: Music learning encourages the development of working memory, particularly auditory working memory. This development is thought to be one of the mechanisms that assists students in processing verbal information quickly and without the need for repetition, remembering multi-step processes and independently managing busy schedules. The development of effective working memory is thought to contribute to the effective creation, storage and retrieval of other types of memories
Understanding of self: Music learning improves students’ confidence in their sense of self and realistic sense of their capacities and abilities. A strong and well-defined sense of self will inform students’ approach to learning and management of relationships.
Regulation of self: Music learning assists students to control their own emotional and behaviour responses while also understanding other student, teacher and parent responses. This promotes independence in learning and the ability to remain on task and work towards set goals.
Healthy development: Music learning promotes healthy development by better integrating the cognitive, emotional, social and physical development of every student.
Social cohesion: Music learning promotes social cohesion through the experience of physiological synchronicity, tolerance of diversity and desire to seek out and value novelty and difference.
We are very blessed to have well-trained, passionate music teachers at the College who are committed to providing a consistent, age-appropriate music education program for every student. The growth in confidence and skill that we see as students learn is so exciting, in addition to the other benefits outlined above.
God bless,
Mrs Jenny Squire
Deputy Principal – Head of Junior School
Book Week
We were so pleased to see all the students (and staff!) enthusiastically take part in this year’s Book Week parade! It was wonderful to see the creativity and excitement on display as everyone celebrated their favourite characters and stories. A big thank you to everyone who participated and made the event so memorable!
Sport
IPSSO
The Winter IPSSO concluded in Week 7 with many hard-fought games against Mount Annan Christian College. All our students played with excellent sportsmanship and enjoyed their final group games. Congratulations to the senior AFL team, who won 58-8.
In Week 8, both our junior and senior netball teams represented the College at IPSSO finals day! Both teams played particularly well against schools we hadn’t played before. They demonstrated kindness and compassion throughout all their games, showing excellent sportsmanship and grace! Congratulations to the junior netball team who came 2nd overall, and to the senior netball team who came 4th overall! This event caps off an excellent year for our netball teams!
3-6 College Sport
This term, our Year 3-6 students began learning frisbee skills from an expert coach and Oz Tag skills from our teachers. These skills will benefit them as they develop their sporting skills and prepare to participate in the House Cup at the end of the term.
Todd Woodbridge Cup
On Monday Week 7, several students were set to represent the College at the Todd Woodbridge Cup tennis competition in Springwood. Unfortunately, this event was postponed due to dangerous wind conditions. It will now be held on Monday 23rd September, Week 10. We look forward to hearing about how well these students represent the College at this tournament in a couple of weeks time!
CIS Athletics
On Friday Week 7, Corey in Year 6 represented the College at CIS Athletics in the 100m, 200m and long jump events. In the very hot conditions, Corey competed with resilience and courage! He finished in the top 20 in each of his events, which is an outstanding achievement! Well done Corey!
CIS Cricket Trials
On Monday and Tuesday Week 8, Ollie and Daniel in Year 6 represented the College at CIS Cricket Trials. Both boys played some excellent cricket and demonstrated excellent sportsmanship throughout this event. Well done to both boys!
CSSA and CIS Nominations
From time to time, the College can nominate some of our exceptional athletes to trial for CSSA or CIS representative teams. These teams are selected for high level representative competitions, drawing from almost 100 schools across NSW. If you would like the College to nominate your child for one of these events, please follow the procedure below:
- Go to the CSSA website to see the list and dates of these trials (cssa.net.au)
- Email me (jbarber@opac.nsw.edu.au), expressing your child’s interest, background, and skills in the sport
- If they fit the requirements of the trials, I will nominate them to attend
- Attend the trials with your child
Upcoming Events
Week 10
Week 10
Monday (23/9)
- Todd Woodbridge Cup tennis competition- selected students
Thursday (26/9)
- K-2 Athletics Carnival at the College. Parents are invited to attend, spectating from the grandstand between 9AM and 11AM.
God bless,
Mr Joshua Barber
Junior School Sports Coordinator
