Extra Curricular
At St Agnes’, the opportunity for extra-curricular involvement is vast and varied. From the Creative Arts, to Sport, to Environmental Sustainability, every interest is catered for and encouraged.
Creative Arts
At St Agnes’, the Creative Arts are for everyone. With a strict ‘No Auditions’ rule, all creative groups within the school are open to all students within particular age groups.
The biggest event on the St Agnes’ Creative Arts calendar is our Grand Spectacular, held in Term 3 each year. Student have to opportunity to perform in a range of disciplines, with rehearsals occuring during lunchtimes and before school. St Agnes’ learners can be involved in one of our many dance troupes, which are open to all students in Years 2 through to 6. These dance students also have the opportunity to perform at the local Port Macquarie and District Dance Eisteddfod, where they compete against other local educational schools, all whilst enjoying the thrill and excitement of performing in a professional theatre.
Students from Years 1 and 2 who love to sing are invited to join the Junior Choir, while students in Years 3 to 6 can sing with our Senior Choir. Both choirs work with a variety of styles, and have opportunities to perform at both our Creative Arts Spectacular and local community events.
Students are also given the opportunity to be part of the local Speech & Drama Eisteddfod, as certain grades elect each year to participate in the Group Choral Verse Speaking sections.
External Creative Arts Tutors
External tutors and teachers are also available for before and after school activities in the creative arts. Local music tuition company, Bluegum 2 provides our students with a School Band experience, as well as offering weekly lessons in a number of orchestral instruments.
After school Drama tuition is also available through local business, Shine Speech & Drama. Weekly lessons are held on site, by a fully qualified teacher. Students that participate in Shine Speech & Drama have the opportunity to perform locally at the Port Macquarie Speech & Drama Eisteddfod, as individuals or as part of a group. The students work on the elements of drama and theatre, including articulation, playbuilding skills and improvisation.
Local artist, Jane Whitfield, provides an after school Visual Arts program at St Agnes’. Jane uses her expertise in the area of Visual Arts to guide students as they experiment with different styles, media and techniques. Students who enjoy this form of creative expression, are encouraged to take part and in the past, have achieved amazing levels of mastery.
Public Speaking
Students at St Agnes’ are involved in public speaking from Kindergarten, all the way through to Year 6. As part of our weekly whole school prayer, each grade is responsible for hosting a small prayer or liturgy for our community. From their very first experience with hosting prayer, Kindergarten students are often excited to read in front of their older peers, and this confidence and excitement grows as they progress through the years.
As they reach the older grades, Years 3 to 6, students also have the opportunity to be involved in a number of competitive and non competitive public speaking opportunities.
Stepping out of the Story is a non competitive experience, where students create a presentation based on a favourite book character. Dressing up and presenting in front of their peers and families, these students work across a term to create some amazing and imaginative presentations. This is held every second year.
Every other year, students in Years 3 to 6 have the opportunity to research, create a costume for and present a speech on an influential person from history or current time. An evening presentation night, with a light supper shared with friends and family is the culmination of weeks of hard work and preparation.
Have a Say Day is a public speaking competition, where students choose a current issue that they are passionate about and prepare a more formal speech to share with the school. These students work on their speeches as an extra curricular activity, with guidance and support from a team of dedicated teachers. Winners, runners up and special commendations are selected by well known speakers from our local community. Past judges have included ABC and commercial radio hosts, politicians and other professionals who use the skills of public speaking in their chosen careers.
Environmental Sustainability
As global citizens and educators, it is our responsibility to nurture the passion of those children who show an interest and concern for sustainability and the environment. St Agnes’ Primary School encourages our students to become active environmental warriors, learning how to best care for God’s creation at every possible opportunity. Twice a week, our Garden and Sustainability Club meet, tending to the school veggie patch and collaborating as a team to come up with ideas to promote a sustainable environment at St Agnes’. Produce from the garden is then used in the school canteen, shared amongst club participants and, when crops are really high, have even been sold to parents to raise funds for more seedlings and equipment!
Coding & Robotics
Preparing our students for a rapidly progressing digital world is a focus for all primary schools. As part of this, students at St Agnes’ that show a particular passion for coding and robotics have the opportunity to meet during designated lunctimes to share their love of all things technological. Using our wide range of STEM resources, students use their skills and knowledge to think critically and creatively, as they use robotics, coding and other forms of technology to solve problems and issues for the future.
Peer Support & Social Circles
A long held tradition at St Agnes’ is the importance of peer guidance and support, through our Social Circles program. This program gives the students the opportunity to work with children from all age groups. Our Year 5 and 6 leaders work collaboratively to create team groups that foster a sense of belonging and nurture these relationships across grades. The activities planned for these sessions are tailored to needs identified by both staff and students at the time, and may range from social skilling, to using the Zones of Regulation to identify how we are feeling, to tackling a tricky Mathematics problem as a team and working collaboratively to solve it! Whatever the content, the students of St Agnes’ look forward to Social Circles time each fortnight, and develop friendships across a number of grades that they often carry with them through their years at St Agnes’.
BAND PROGRAM
(CONDUCTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH BLUEGUM2 MUSIC)
• Instrumental and Band Program at St Agnes’ provides students from Years 3 to 6 with the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument at school in a group situation.
• Students participate in a weekly half hour tutorial and a band rehearsal for one hour which takes place
before school. They develop music leading skills, theory of music, aural skills (listening skills), team work, self-esteem and logical and creative thinking. Children are given the opportunity to broaden their
experiences through the pleasure of music.
• Instruments taught are: Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Trombone, Baritone, Bass, Guitar, Keyboard, Bass Violin, Acoustic Guitar, Trumpet and Drums. The band performs regularly for the school, in combined workshops with visiting schools as well as community based events. Students are able
to reach a standard that allows them to progress into high school bands in Year 7. Students are tested to
determine instrument suitability.
• For further details please contact the school office.
MUSIC KEYBOARD TUITION
(PORT MACQUARIE ACADEMY OF MUSIC)
• Qualified teachers from the Academy of Music, come before school to work with beginner keyboard
groups offered for children from years 1-6. This course is a terrific introduction to music for all ages
and does not impact on normal class time. Groups are small to maximise each student’s development.
Lessons include music theory so students learn to read and interpret music in addition to playing their
instrument. After a maximum of 12 months, students are ready to move into private tuition after school
either for leisure or exams at the Academy of Music studios nearby.
• Requirements: Students bring their own instrument to school for lessons, keyboards MUST have piano
size keys with a minimum of 61 keys (Casio & Yamaha are ideal). A book kit is supplied at the first lesson.
Fees are invoiced by the Academy of Music for each school term.
• After school tuition is available for Drums, Piano, Keyboard, Singing and Guitar at the Academy of Music
studios Monday – Friday. ‘Toddler Tooters’ Classes introduce pre-schoolers to music and the WunderKeys
program is a Piano course for 3-5year olds. Academy students are encouraged to participate in
Performance Parties, Concerts and formal exams when they’re ready.
• For further details please contact the school office.
‘SHINE’ – DRAMA
• St Agnes’ School offers an after school Drama Enrichment Program organised by Claire Thurlow, a teacher
at St Agnes’ Primary. These classes aim to introduce and extend students from Years 1 to 6 interested
in the Performing Arts. Eisteddfod participation and other performance opportunities will be available
throughout the year.
• These classes are conducted on Wednesday afternoons and payment is required in advance. For further
information please contact the school office.
DRAWN TO ART
After school art classes occur each Monday and Tuesday afternoon during school terms. The classes are
offered to students from Kindergarten to Year 6 and operate on a three week module basis. Payment is
required in advance at the commencement of the course and covers the cost of all materials.
The Drawn to Art program covers a diverse range of art mediums such as painting, drawing, collage,
printmaking, sculpture, photography and more.
Classes are conducted after school and by a fully qualified art teacher. This is a great opportunity for your
child to pursue their artistic skills.
For further information, please contact the school office.
