Archive for February, 2010
Posted February 19 2010Thought for the week
“Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.”
Albert Einstein
The generic use of the term “man” in the above quote reminds us that when the bible and other literature that was written years ago use this term, it includes male and female. It is not saying that men should be people of value and women don’t need to be. It is including everyone.
The first book of the bible refers to God making “man” in his own image and likeness, “male and female created he them”.
At Huntingtower we place a lot of emphasis on the creation of man in God’s image and likeness, because that means that everyone expresses, reflects or is the emanation of whatever God is. Since God is Love, every child is loving, kind and thoughtful. We expect them to express these qualities at all times without exception. When we realise that this is the true nature of each child, it is not possible to have violence, aggression and bullying because these are not qualities of God. Mary Baker Eddy says “It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established.”
Our vision for Huntingtower in 2010 includes having students who embody the above qualities in all their daily activities; children who do not use foul language, act rudely or present themselves inappropriately; children who see good in others and in themselves. This is what we seem to have. Our children are all divine and I know that they will aspire to greatness.
Last night I attended the first night of our House Music Festival and was extremely impressed by the high standard of performance. We have so many wonderfully talented musicians in our school. The range of instruments was wonderful to see. They included piano, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, guitar, bassoon, and voice. Congratulations to all the performers on their splendid effort and thanks to Mrs Bramble and the adjudicator Mr Errol Fernando. All parents are encouraged to attend the second and third nights of this music festival. The solo and small ensemble evening in on Monday 1 March and the final night which includes the large choirs and orchestras is at the Besen Centre on Thursday 4 March.
Our Year 11 group leave on Saturday morning for the Broken Hill – Plumbago expedition and together with the 16 adult supervisors, will have a wonderful time. It looks like the weather will be good (fairly hot) and not wet.
All Parents are invited to attend the PTA AGM on Monday 22 February at 7.30pm. The meeting will be held in the Performing Arts Centre and should be over by 8.30pm. Please come along to hear from your PTA representatives and also to possibly become involved in future activities. I look forward to seeing you there.
Thank you to the PTA committee for arranging such a pleasant welcome to parents. The new parents who came to the Sausage sizzle enjoyed meeting everyone. We had good music and amazing sausages. Thank you for coming.
You will have noticed that progress has been made with the Sports and Fitness Centre. We are now waiting for the steel manufacturers to complete the frame. We are hoping that this will be erected in the next few weeks and that the roof will be on by the end of term.
Sholto Bowen
Principal
February 19 2010 | All and Principals Message | No Comments » | 
Posted February 19 2010Diary Dates:
- PTA Annual General Meeting – Monday 22 February 2010.
- Easter Colouring Competition – March 2010 (Junior School).
- Fete – Saturday 6 November 2010.
Welcome Picnic
All those who attended the Welcome to 2010 Picnic on Saturday the 13 February were treated to a terrific sausage sizzle (thanks Sholto, Peter and Dot
who did the sizzling..) and a great band, with Sholto even stepping up to the microphone for a few songs! Thank you to all who attended, we enjoyed meeting the new parents and catching up with the existing ones, it was a great evening.
Fete 2010
Our annual school Fete will be held on Saturday the 6 November this year. We’re hoping to have a “county fair” type theme, linking back to the wish of many to have more homemade produce at the Fete this year (eg: toffee apple, jams, etc).
We have been delighted that so many classes put their hands up this year for particular stalls. Please find below the list of the stalls by class.
- Cakes – 3yo Pre-Prep
- Plants – 4yo Pre-Prep
- Ticket Booth/Drinks/Animals (Prep – Shani Finlayson )
- Second Hand Clothes – (Y1).
- Kid’s Crafts (Yr 2 – Lia D’arcy)
- Lollies – Yr 3 (Eleanor)
- Pantry and Community Produce – (Yr 4).
- Strawberry Fare and Icecream – (Yr 5).
- HT Gifts – Y6 (Lori-Anne)
- Silent Auction (Yr 7)
- Hot Dogs/Chips and Nachos (Yr
- Devonshire Teas (Yr 9)
- Coffee (Yr 10 – Kamal Unvala)
- Second Hand Books, Media and Toys – (Yr 11).
We would be delighted to hear from anyone who would like to assist with the Fete or has any terrific ideas to link in with our theme! Please contact Catherine Jenkins on catherine.jenkins@iinet.net.au.
AGM & Committee Vacancies
The Annual General Meeting for the PTA will be held on Monday the 22 February 2010 in the PAC. We’d be delighted for any interested parents or teachers to attend.
We would love to hear from anyone who would be keen to join our Committee. We have a lot of fun at our meetings and we are hoping for a couple of enthusiastic parents to get involved. The Committee is seeking 2 new members this year. Please contact Catherine Jenkins at catherine.jenkins@iinet.net.au if you are interested, we’d love to hear from you!
Changes to the PTA Constitution
For those of you who have read the PTA Constitution, it’s a rather wordy and out of date document. In the hope of making it more useful for future committees, we’ve taken the opportunity to prepare a set of amendments are going to be put forward at the AGM on the 22nd of February.
In summary, these include:
- Areas pertaining to membership to reflect current membership (parents) but leaving it open to teachers and representatives if they are interested as well as past students and parents of past students.
- Removal of areas referring to exact numbers for voting as these sections have become irrelevant very quickly.
- Requirement for an independent audit of the P&L and bank reconciliation
We would like to leave the name as the “PTA” rather than “PA” as although parents make up current membership, the door is always open for teachers and school reps to join if they are interested.
If you would like a full copy of the proposed amendments, please contact Catherine Jenkins at catherine.jenkins@iinet.net.au.
Class Reps and Fete Reps
The PTA would like to thank the class reps and fete reps who will be returning in 2010, as well as the new reps who have agreed to get involved this year!
For many year levels, class reps and fete reps have not yet been finalised. It would be wonderful to see some enthusiastic parents step forward to offer their support this year. If you would like to help, please contact catherine.jenkins@iinet.net.au.
February 19 2010 | All and PTA | No Comments » |
Posted February 19 2010HUNTINGTOWER ORCHESTRAL PROGRAM
Many students from Years Prep – 12 learn orchestral instruments and participate in various ensembles throughout the school.
Little Symphony Years Prep – 2
Junior Orchestra Years 3 – 6
Senior Orchestra Years 7 – 12
Middle School Orchestra Years 7 – 9
Concert Band Years 7 – 12
String Orchestra Senior, Middle, Junior Schools
Various year level Orchestras
Small Ensembles (Brass Ensemble, Stage Band, String Quartets etc.
The players enjoy the excitement of performing together and they develop a high level of concentration, responsiveness and alertness which is then channelled into their academic performance. Every year many of Huntingtower’s top VCE students are also musicians (in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 all students with ENTER scores over 99 were in the orchestra!) and during the presentation of academic awards for any year level the orchestral chairs seem to be empty! There are many wonderful extra curricular activities available including opportunities to attend State Music Camps and to participate in many fine youth orchestras when sufficient proficiency is attained. All students at Huntingtower who learn orchestral instruments can participate in an ensemble as soon as a small degree of proficiency is achieved. At some times some advanced piano students are involved in the percussion sections of the orchestras but unfortunately it is impossible to involve all piano students as only a small number of percussion players are needed.
If you do not play an instrument, now is the ideal time to start! Instruments are available to suit the needs of students throughout the school so please don’t hesitate to speak to Mrs Lynley Bramble (Director of Music) at school (Music Centre – Room MU8) or ring her after hours (9803 7701) or email lbramble@huntingtower.vic.edu.au to discuss the availability or suitability of various instruments. An instrument tuition form can be downloaded from the Huntingtower website – go to ‘Your School’ followed by ‘Parents’ then ‘Forms and Notices’. This need only be filled out by students who wish to start an instrument.
Perhaps you may consider a jazzy double bass, a shiny French horn, trumpet or trombone, an oboe or bassoon, viola, violin or ‘cello – there are many possibilities so do come along and have a go!
SENIOR HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2010 – YEARS 7 – 12
This year our exciting House Music Festival will be held on three evenings.
- Thursday 18 February – 6.30pm – Senior Solo Concert. Orchestral Room
- Monday 1 March – 7.00pm – Solos and Instrumental Ensembles. Performing Arts Centre
- Thursday 4 March – 7.30pm – House Orchestras, Choirs, Chamber Choirs and Light Entertainment. Besen Centre, Mt. Scopus College
- COMPULSORY attendance for all students in Years 7 – 12 on Thursday 4 March
The House Orchestras and Choirs have begun rehearsing already. Enthusiastic support will be given to the House Music leaders who will work tirelessly over the next few weeks as they guide their Houses to the final wonderful performance.
HOUSE MUSIC SENIOR SOLO CONCERT (Years 7 to 12)
Thursday 18 February 6.30pm Orchestral Room
By the time this Bulletin is posted this wonderful concert will be over. We are looking forward to having 40 magnificent performances from students from Years 7 to 12 with a large range of works performed on many different instruments and voice. This is always a very exciting opportunity to hear some of the amazing array of talent within the Senior School.
HOUSE MUSIC SOLOS AND INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLES
Monday 1 March 7pm Performing Arts Centre
Please come and support your House and enjoy another amazing array of talent from our young performers. The Instrumental Ensembles have been rehearsing enthusiastically for many hours during the weekend and the soloists have worked tirelessly to perfect their art. It will be a great evening!
HOUSE MUSIC ORCHESTRAS, CHOIRS AND LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday 4 March 7.30pm
VENUE
The very exciting final evening of the House Music Festival on Thursday 4 March at 7.30pm will be held at the BESEN CENTRE at Mt. Scopus College. This is a magnificent auditorium with excellent acoustics for the choirs and orchestras and a huge stage for Light Entertainment. It is also a very large hall so we do invite all parents, families, old students and friends to come and enjoy this spectacular event! There will be a comfortable seat for everyone and there is no charge. Junior School children will love the excitement of the evening and it will not be a long night. Every student in Years 7 to 12 will perform in his/her House Choir and over 60% of the students perform in the House Orchestras. It is a COMPULSORY event for all Senior students.
Please invite all your friends and notify any old students whom you may know of the venue. This would be much appreciated.
DRESS FOR THE HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES
NB. Please note carefully as you may need to purchase an item of clothing from the Huntingtower Uniform Shop before the evening.
Girls: Summer dress, white socks worn at the correct length, shiny black shoes, blazer, hair ribbons if relevant in the correct colour.
Boys: Long-sleeved blue shirt with sleeves rolled down and buttons done up!, school tie, long grey trousers, dark socks, shiny black shoes
INSTRUMENTAL AND THEORY LESSONS
Most lessons have commenced and great progress is being made! It will not be long before students who have just started an orchestral instrument will become part of one of the orchestras, Little Symphony or Concert Band. It is great fun and extremely rewarding so if you would like to learn an instrument and would like to look at and try some of the available instruments please contact Mrs Bramble (BH 9807 8888 AH 9803 7701 or email lbramble@huntingtower.vic.edu.au) It is not too late to try and all students from Years Prep to 12 are very welcome.
Unfortunately there are no saxophones left but you may like to try a shiny trumpet or oboe or bassoon (these instruments would suit olders students from Years 6 to 12).
If you have have already put in a Music Tuition form and have not had a lesson yet the lessons should start very soon. There has been a slight delay with the service and return of some instruments and some of the instrumental teachers have been touring overseas and interstate.
Theory lessons at all AMEB levels will be available on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after school so please speak to Mrs Bramble if you are interested.
ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED, HAVING A 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PARTY OR ORGANISING A BUSINESS DINNER?
Members of the Huntingtower String Orchestra would be very willing to provide a small (or large) ensemble to play beautiful music in a wide varity of styles at any occasion. They have a very comprehensive “gig”folder that includes many special requests. A small fee would be charged as fundraising for the Huntingtower Instrumental Account. A quartet will be performing at the Windsor Hotel in February at a special business dinner. This was at the kind invitation of a past parent.
MUSIC DATES – TERM 1 2010
1. HOUSE MUSIC SENIOR SOLO CONCERT (Years 7-12)
Thursday 18 February 7pm Orchestral Room
2. HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL Solos/Ensembles
Monday 1 March 7pm PAC
3. HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL Orchestras/Choirs
Thursday 4 March 7.30pm Besen Centre (Mt Scopus)
4. YEARS 5 AND 6 SOLO CONCERT
Thursday 25 March 6pm Orchestral Room
February 19 2010 | All and Music | No Comments » |
Posted February 19 2010For HT Heat Registration form please go to the following link:
HT Heat Registration 2010
February 19 2010 | All | No Comments » |
Posted February 19 2010“For Sale – 2 student desks, suitable for primary aged children. As new
condition Freedom furniture, Zed desks in silver. Measuring 60cm deep x
100 cm wide x 67cm high. $75 each. Please contact Jane Frecheville on
0418 351949 or on email: freshies@frecheville.com.au.
February 19 2010 | Advertisement and All | No Comments » |
Posted February 19 2010 Holy Family Primary School “ Great Fete”. 250 Stephensons Rd, Mt Waverley. Saturday 13th March, 2010 10am till 4pm. There will be stalls including, Trash and Treasure, Fairy, Art and Craft, Beauty Pavillion and Massage, MASH tent, Plants, Second hand book stall and many more…. You can choose to eat at our Devonshire Tea Stall, Sausage Sizzle or enjoy the great entertainment line up from the Beer and Wine Garden. Fantastic rides for the kids, suitable for all ages. Flyers available at the Main Office. Hope to see you there!!!
February 19 2010 | Advertisement and All | No Comments » |
Posted February 09 2010Dear Parents and Guardians
Welcome to a brand new year at Huntingtower. I hope you have had a good break enjoying the summer with family and friends. Over the past few days the teachers have been busy in their teams preparing units of work, lessons, classrooms and other exciting activities all designed to deepen their understanding of teaching in the 21st century. It has been a joy to work in Huntingtower’s professional learning community where action research, a thoughtful approach and sharing expertise with colleagues is the norm.
New schedule:
This year ushers in several changes at school; the most significant involves the daily schedule. The day now begins with the first lesson at 8.25am sharp and not a mentor period. (The roll will be taken electronically at the beginning and the end of the day). This means classes start immediately. Mentor time comes later in the day. Students must be at school at 8.15am in order to be ready at their classroom door for period 1. On Fridays, the day starts with period 1 at 9am. This allows for teachers to have curriculum meetings before school and for the Senior Orchestra to rehearse. The Principal’s assembly will now be on a Tuesday morning after recess.
In addition to these changes, lessons will now last 70 minutes as opposed to 43 minutes. The day therefore will have five periods rather than eight like previous years. The decision to have longer lessons is in line with research which states that students need to have longer lessons so that deeper thinking, and more varied activities can occur within the allotted time. Students also spend less time moving to different classes and therefore save on learning time. It also creates a far easier time at school for students who only have to organize themselves and their homework around five lessons. Teachers are very excited about these changes and have devoted considerable time to readjusting their teaching strategies to be in line with longer lessons.
New staff:
This year we welcome back Yvonne David (Tenne), Leigh Parsons and Lisa Sutton after a one year absence. Hayden McQueenie joins the staff as a part time senior maths teacher. He is passionate about his subject and I know the students will enjoy his classes.
Professional development:
This is ongoing at Huntingtower and works within the theme of ‘2020 Vision’ as we strive to meet the needs of all our students in the new century. At Huntingtower, we aim to find ways to unlock the unlimited potential of every student. To do this we do the following:
- Involve over 90% of our staff in training in the Teaching for Understanding (TfU) framework. TfU was developed by researchers at Harvard Graduate School of Education as a ‘tool to design, revise, and review curriculum and instruction that helps students develop understanding’. The framework guides teachers’ efforts to design effective teaching that supports students in building understanding of important content. In this day and age understanding and application of knowledge, not simply regurgitation of facts, is crucial to success.
- Have ‘2020 Teaching’ meetings every week where a staff member presents to the faculty a teaching strategy that deepens thinking.
- Have Huntingtower staff make presentations, run workshops at conferences and schools and submit articles for publication.
- Have teachers attend network meetings as well as local, interstate and international conferences and report back at staff meetings.
- Have teams that meet regularly to plan, revise and reflect on units.
- Over the holidays Ms Gordon and I spent time in the USA at Principia School, sharing the good work that Huntingtower does around teaching, learning and creating a vibrant professional learning community. Ms Gordon also visited our friends at Harvard University to present the research she has conducted on the impact of Teaching for Understanding at Huntingtower.
We aim to have the best educational team and the best learning environment in the world.
Vice Principal:
I am now moving into my fifth year as Vice Principal (already!). My broad objectives remain the same: to make the school an even better place for students, staff and parents and to improve the learning of every student. I also aim to leave a legacy. The previous years have been most successful with many positive changes. I am looking forward to working with the School Principal and the members of the executive to continue the momentum.
New team:
With the departure of Dot Greiveson to take up the role of the Junior School Headmistress, some small reshuffling of roles in the senior school has occurred. My role continues to be to oversee the Middle and Senior school and to act as Principal for the entire school when Mr. Bowen is away. Meredith Lawson (Middle School Coordinator, Years 7-9) and Noel Davies (VCE Coordinator, Years 10-12), keep me informed of the progress of students and programmes in their respective areas. They meet regularly with mentors and teachers to assess the needs of all students. Fiona Gordon (Teaching and Learning Coordinator, Years Prep-12) is responsible for the development of a dynamic and relevant curriculum. Her key role is to support the teachers in their journey of continuous improvement.
Mentors:
Mentor groups in Years 7-10 will continue to take place in class groups. For example 7.1 will meet as 7.1 and will consist of a mixture of all three houses. In most cases, the mentor will also teach his\her mentor group for a subject. This means the mentor will see them more than only in the mentor time. By having a mentor responsible for a class group, he\she will better monitor the progress of the students.
The focus for the first part of the year will be on the theme True North. Students will view a presentation and complete a number of workshops during the term in their mentor groups with the aim to develop their understanding of what it means to be values driven.
All students will be involved in goal setting. Goals will be discussed and then written in the student planner. They will be reviewed each term. You are encouraged to keep a close check on the planner as it is a good way to monitor your child’s homework and communicate with teachers.
The mentors are;
Year 7: Mr Amos (coordinator), Ms P Dove, Ms Fletcher-McGookin
Year 8: Mr Walkerden, Ms Phan, Mr Brown (Ms Lawson is the coordinator)
Year 9: Ms Goddard (coordinator), Ms Tiepermann, Mr Parsons
Year 10:Ms Stevens (coordinator), Ms Bush, Ms Craik
Year 11: Mr Hill (coordinator), Ms Lyristis, Mr Borbely
Year 12: Ms Christensen, Mr Newman, Ms Matthews (Mr Davies is the coordinator)
The mentors are responsible for the pastoral care of the group. They will meet with students regularly and keep abreast of the development of the students in their mentor group. Mentors will also meet on a weekly basis with teachers to ensure continuing support of the students. The mentor is the first ‘port of call’ for parents. Parents should feel free to contact the mentor about any issue relating to their child.
Year level coordinators are responsible for overseeing the progress of the year group. They are to be contacted for any issues relating to the Year. The year level coordinators work closely with the mentors to ensure all students are progressing adequately. They also ensure that the year level has a clear identity and that the program is meeting the needs of the students. They are responsible for coordinating the camp for the year level.
Students will continue to regularly meet in house groups. Led by Mr Rees, Ms Beal and Ms Jonas, the aim of the Houses continues to be to provide students the opportunity to form friendships with students across year levels, create leadership opportunities, to do community service and to compete in House competitions.
Please feel free to ask any questions or make suggestions as the year goes on. We value a strong bond between school and home at it has such a positive impact on the progress of the child.May I take this opportunity to wish the entire Huntingtower community a joyous and productive 2010!
Yours sincerely
Mr. Peter Dry
Vice Principal
February 09 2010 | All | No Comments » |
Posted February 05 2010Thought for the Year
“You are the most perfect, wonderful and complete idea that God has ever had”
Welcome to the new decade and welcome to our 2010 Huntingtower school year, which is going to be amazing. I am sure that you all had a wonderful holiday and are ready for the excitement that this year will bring.
The “thought for the year” is what we as teachers at Huntingtower will be holding in our thought about your child and I encourage all of you to do the same. I am sure you agree that the evidence that it is our thinking that ultimately creates our reality is becoming incontrovertible. When we constantly speak of good, focus on what is good and expect good, we find that this is what our lives attract. When we focus on negatives, look for what is bad and expect things to go wrong, that is what we will attract into our experience. We are literally creating our own experience. This means that if you and we hold in our thought that your child is this perfect, complete expression of infinite intelligence and divine Love, we will bring this into our and their experience. It is certainly a happier way to be anyway. Optimism always feels better than its opposite.
So let’s keep our hearts and minds focussed on thinking, speaking and acting in accord with the outcomes we seek.
In this verse of a poem by Mary Baker Eddy we read:
“Think truly, and thy thoughts
Shall the whole world’s famine feed;
Speak truly, and each word of thine
Shall be a fruitful seed;
Live truly, and thy life shall be
A great and noble creed.”
At the commencement assembly I mentioned the wonderful VCE results achieved by our 2009 graduating class. We are very proud of the entire class. A quick summary is that we once again had a 100% VCE success rate and a 100% tertiary acceptance rate.
39% of all ENTER scores were over 90 and 80% were over 80.
The school was ranked by the Herald Sun and Age newspapers as 30th out of all schools including selective entry schools and 8th out of all Co-educational schools in the state.
We congratulate Anne-Marie Johnson for receiving an Australian Government award for being a top 500 student in the VCE of 2008. What a fine achievement.
The new “MySchool” government web site is of great concern as I fear that all schools will now start “teaching to the test”. This is inevitable as the information is being published by the press in a format which starts to create league tables of schools. The danger is that we cease teaching for a wide and broad education that genuinely prepares students for the 21st Century and simply focus on getting good short-term outcomes. The NAPLAN results are very useful in identifying areas that may need attention, be they for individual students or for subject areas, however, I do not think they should be used to “rank” schools. Furthermore, the schools against which one is ranked seem quite strange. How a select entry school (North Sydney Boys High) can be “ranked” with a school like Huntingtower is beyond me. The similarities end with the name “school”.
Huntingtower looks very good on the NAPLAN analysis but there are areas that we will be addressing to ensure that any weaknesses are taken care of.
I wish everyone a very happy, successful and joyous 2010.
Sholto Bowen
Principal
February 05 2010 | All and Principals Message | No Comments » |
Posted February 05 2010Diary Dates:
- Welcome Picnic Saturday 13th February 2010.
- PTA Annual General Meeting – Monday 22nd February 2010.
Welcome Picnic
All new parents and existing parents are invited to the Welcome Picnic in the school quadrangle on Saturday the 13 February at 5.00pm. It’s a fun afternoon with a complimentary BBQ sausage sizzle and usually a bit of singing from Sholto!
AGM & Committee Vacancies
The Annual General Meeting for the PTA will be held on Monday the 22nd of February 2010 in the PAC. We’d be delighted for any interested parents or teachers to attend.
We’d love to hear from anyone who’d be keen to join our Committee. We have a lot of fun at our meetings and we’re hoping for a couple of enthusiastic parents to get involved. The Committee is seeking 2 new members this year. Please contact Catherine Jenkins at catherine.jenkins@iinet.net.au if you are interested, we’d love to hear from you!
Changes to the PTA Constitution
For those of you who have read the PTA Constitution, it’s a rather wordy and out of date document. In the hope of making it more useful for future committees, we’ve taken the opportunity to prepare a set of amendments are going to be put forward at the AGM on the 22nd of February.
In summary, these include:
- Areas pertaining to membership to reflect current membership (parents) but leaving it open to teachers and representatives if they are interested as well as past students and parents of past students.
- Removal of areas referring to exact numbers for voting as these sections have become irrelevant very quickly.
- Requirement for an independent audit of the P&L and bank reconciliation
We’d like to leave the name as the “PTA” rather than “PA” as although parents make up current membership, the door is always open for teachers and school reps to join if they are interested.
Class Reps and Fete Reps
The PTA would like to thank the class reps and fete reps who will be returning in 2010, as well as the new reps who have agreed to get involved this year!
For many year levels, class reps and fete reps have not yet been finalised. It would be wonderful to see some enthusiastic parents step forward to offer their support this year. If you would like to help, please contact catherine.jenkins@iinet.net.au.
February 05 2010 | All and PTA | No Comments » |
Posted February 05 2010HUNTINGTOWER ORCHESTRAL PROGRAM
Many students from Years Prep – 12 learn orchestral instruments and participate in various ensembles throughout the school.
Little Symphony Years Prep – 2
Junior Orchestra Years 3 – 6
Senior Orchestra Years 7 – 12
Middle School Orchestra Years 7 – 9
Concert Band Years 7 – 12
String Orchestra Senior, Middle, Junior Schools
Various year level Orchestras
Small Ensembles (Brass Ensemble, Stage Band, String Quartets etc.)
The players enjoy the excitement of performing together and they develop a high level of concentration, responsiveness and alertness which is then channelled into their academic performance. Every year many of Huntingtower’s top VCE students are also musicians (in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 all students with ENTER scores over 99 were in the orchestra!) and during the presentation of academic awards for any year level the orchestral chairs seem to be empty! There are many wonderful extra curricular activities available including opportunities to attend State Music Camps and to participate in many fine youth orchestras when sufficient proficiency is attained. All students at Huntingtower who learn orchestral instruments can participate in an ensemble as soon as a small degree of proficiency is achieved. At some times some advanced piano students are involved in the percussion sections of the orchestras but unfortunately it is impossible to involve all piano students as only a small number of percussion players are needed.
If you do not play an instrument, now is the ideal time to start! Instruments are available to suit the needs of students throughout the school so please don’t hesitate to speak to Mrs Lynley Bramble (Director of Music) at school (Music Centre – Room MU8) or ring her after hours (9803 7701) or email lbramble@huntingtower.vic.edu.au to discuss the availability or suitability of various instruments. An instrument tuition form is available under the Forms & Notices section of the Huntingtower Website or by clicking directly here – this need only be filled out by students who wish to start an instrument.
Perhaps you may consider a jazzy double bass, a shiny French horn, trumpet or trombone, an oboe or bassoon, viola, violin or ‘cello – there are many possibilities so do come along and have a go!
SENIOR HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2010 – YEARS 7 – 12
This year our exciting House Music Festival will be held on three evenings.
- Thursday 18 February – 6.30pm – Senior Solo Concert. Orchestral Room
- Monday 1 March – 7.00pm – Solos and Instrumental Ensembles. Performing Arts Centre
- Thursday 4 March – 7.30pm – House Orchestras, Choirs, Chamber Choirs and Light Entertainment. Besen Centre, Mt. Scopus College
- COMPULSORY attendance for all students in Years 7 – 12 on Thursday 4 March
The House Orchestras and Choirs have begun rehearsing already. Enthusiastic support will be given to the House Music leaders who will work tirelessly over the next few weeks as they guide their Houses to the final wonderful performance.
HOUSE MUSIC CAPTAINS 2010
Bruce Jacob Davey and Clare Higgins
Mather Beth Camier and Sid Vadasseri
Warrell Sally Fyfield, Sam Hillman and Elliot Kitchingman
Directors of Light Entertainment
Simone Masci
Renee Williams
Orchestra Captains 2010
Chris Cini
Anushi Samarasinghe
Choir Captains 2010
Jonathan Calleja
Beth Camier
Clare Higgins
Alysha Waye
Concert Band Captain 2010
Sally Fyfield
HOUSE ORCHESTRAS (Years 7 – 12)
If you play an orchestral instrument (Years 7 to 12) you should have received a notice with information about the House Music Orchestra rehearsals. If you have not yet received a notice or your name is not on the House Orchestra lists please see Mrs Bramble (Music Centre Room MU4) as soon as possible as we really value every player’s participation and contribution even if you have only been playing for a short time.
Combined House Orchestra rehearsals have been held this week and from next week (Monday 8 February) the three House Orchestras rehearse separately each week in the Orchestral Room.
- Bruce Orchestra – every TUESDAY and THURSDAY 7.50am – 8.25am
- Mather Orchestra – every FRIDAY 7.50-9am
- Warrell Orchestra – every MONDAY and WEDNESDAY 7.50am – 8.25am
Please support your House Music Captains and come punctually to every rehearsal.
HOUSE ORCHESTRA PERCUSSION WORKSHOPS
Monday 8 February at 12.30pm in the Orchestral Room
Every player music arrive promptly please and be ready to play at 12.30pm (bring your lunch).
HOUSE MUSIC SOLO AUDITIONS
Huntingtower is very fortunate to have many talented instrumental and vocal students who could all perform as soloists on the first two evenings of the House Music Festival. All these students (from Years 7 – 12) are now encouraged to prepare a work and then perform at the Solo Auditions to be held on:
- Tuesday 9 February 3.40pm – Years 7 and 9
- Wednesday 10 February 3.40pm – Years 8 and 9
- Thursday 11 February 3.40pm – Years 10, 11 and 12
Students, if they wish, may perform on more than one instrument or on both instrument and voice. The adjudicator will choose soloists from each House for the Senior Solo Concert on Thursday 18 February at 6.30pm or the Solo and Ensemble Concert on Monday 1 March at 7.00pm.
So blow away the cobwebs! BEGIN PRACTISING!! And return the form below to your House Music Captain or Mrs Bramble immediately.
HOUSE MUSIC SOLO AUDITIONS
To Lynley Bramble
Yes, I would like to audition
Name_____________________________
Instrument_________________________
2nd Instrument______________________
(if applicable)
Voice Yes No
INSTRUMENTAL AND THEORY LESSONS
Individual music lessons will generally commence next week and students should bring their instrument and music to school on the same day as last year unless they hear otherwise. Students who are commencing lessons in 2010 will be notified soon of arrangements. Most lessons will commence within the next two weeks but sometimes there is an unavoidable delay as intruments may still be being repaired or serviced.
Theory lessons at all AMEB levels will be available on Tuesday and Wednesday after school so please speak to Mrs Bramble if you are interested. Theory lessons are held in small classes for a cost of $50 per term (approximately $5 per 1 hour lesson). The lessons have commenced already but students can join at any time during the year.
ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED, HAVING A 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY PARTY OR ORGANISING A BUSINESS DINNER?
Members of the Huntingtower String Orchestra would be very willing to provide a small (or large) ensemble to play beautiful music in a wide varity of styles at any occasion. They have a very comprehensive “gig”folder that includes many special requests. A small fee would be charged as fundraising for the Huntingtower Instrumental Account. A quartet will be performing at the Windsor Hotel in February at a special business dinner. This was at the kind invitation of a past parent.
MUSIC DATES – TERM 1 2010
1. HOUSE MUSIC SOLO AUDITIONS (Years 7 and 9)
Tuesday 9 February 3.40pm Orchestral Room
2. HOUSE MUSIC SOLO AUDITIONS (Years 8 and 9)
Wednesday 10 February 3.40pm Orchestral Room
3. HOUSE MUSIC SOLO AUDITIONS (Years 10 – 12)
Thursday 11 February 3.40pm Orchestral Room
4. SENIOR SOLO CONCERT (Years 7-12)
Thursday 18 February 7pm Orchestral Room
5. HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL Solos/Ensembles
Monday 1 March 7pm PAC
6. HOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL Orchestras/Choirs
Thursday 4 March 7.30pm Besen Centre (Mt Scopus)
7. YEARS 5 AND 6 SOLO CONCERT
Thursday 25 March 6pm Orchestral Room
February 05 2010 | All and Music | No Comments » |
