CULTURAL NEWS
FROM THE LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
Japanese Children’s Day celebration
On Friday, 2 May, our school community will come together to celebrate Japanese Children’s Day. Our senior Japanese students have been working hard behind the scenes to prepare an exciting lineup of hands-on activities, cultural games, and festive fun for students from Prep to Year 12.
Activities will take place during lunchtime across the school campus, offering a wonderful opportunity for everyone to experience and enjoy Japanese culture. We can’t wait to celebrate!
Year 8 French Restaurant excursion
In Week 10, our Year 8 French students had a delightful experience at Flo’s Crêperie, where they put their language skills to the test by ordering their meals in French. The authentic French staff added to the excitement as students chose from a menu featuring galettes (savoury crêpes made with buckwheat flour) and dessert crêpes.
This excursion was a perfect complement to our Year 8 curriculum, which focuses on practical language skills essential for navigating life in France, including mealtime conversations, food preferences, and restaurant etiquette. The outing served as an enjoyable and practical use of the skills they had developed for assessment, giving students a taste of real-world French usage.
Bravo to all our students for their impressive efforts and enthusiasm!
Welcome to our French exchange student from Aurillac
This term, we are delighted to welcome Fanny (a French exchange student from our sister school in Aurillac) to our Grammar family. This week, Fanny has been busy getting to know her host family and experiencing school life in Year 9 for the first time—there has certainly been a lot to take in since her arrival over the Easter weekend! A special thanks to all our hosting families for their support.
Having international students on campus enriches the lives of all our students, not just those hosting. It also provides a wonderful opportunity for our visitors to engage in a wide range of activities and gain a broader experience of life in Australia. We are looking forward to welcoming a larger group of students from Aurillac in Term 3 as well as sending two of our current Year 10 students over to Aurillac at the end of the year.
FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT
This week, the Symphonic Band and Bel Canto Choir have been busy preparing music items for multiple ANZAC services – the Mooloolaba Surf Club Dawn Service, the Buderim Street Parade and our own school community event.
We have a full calendar of activities and performances in the Music Department throughout Term Two that will certainly keep our ensembles busy. Highlights not to be missed include the Large Ensemble Showcase on May 30 and the Grammar ROX! Rock Band Showcase on June 12, both held on-site. You can check out our GECO calendar for other concert dates, including some at Coolum Civic Centre featuring our Grammar musicians who will be performing alongside local artists!
I encourage our Grammar Music community to join us in the Music Hangar on Thursday, May 1, for our Music Support Group Meeting from 6:45 pm. Your support and participation are invaluable to us.
Let's come together to celebrate and support our talented musicians as they share their passion and hard work with us all. We look forward to seeing you at these exciting events!
Recent Events
The Bel Fine Choir delivered a beautiful and moving performance at the Secondary Easter Assembly on the final day of Term 1. Their heartfelt renditions of Were You There and How Great His Love? were a powerful reminder of the meaning behind the Easter season. This small, auditioned group of talented singers from Years 8- 12 is accompanied by Mr Denis Feletto and directed by Mrs Kirsten Bowman, and rehearses each Monday morning, learning to create rich and refined four-part harmonies to present to the school and the Sunshine Coast community. The choir continues to go from strength to strength, and we’re proud to announce they will be representing the school at the upcoming ‘Sunshine Coast Purely Vocal’ community choir concert on Friday, 9th May at the Coolum Civic Centre. We look forward to seeing them inspire a wider audience with their beautiful sound once again.
Mia captivated everyone with her incredible busking performance at the end of last term. The energy in the air was electric as she poured her heart into her music, drawing a crowd that couldn't help but stop and listen.
Weekly Instrumental Music Specialist focus - Michelle Bull (Vocal)
Ms. Bull has dazzled audiences in some truly unique locations! From the inviting atmosphere of venues such as the Brisbane Powerhouse and Caloundra Events Centre to energetic cabaret shows in a boxing ring, belting show tunes from the back of a convertible on Cronulla beach, and even an enchanting opera in the heart of the Abu Dhabi desert, her versatility is simply remarkable!
If you wish to begin singing lessons, please complete this enrolment form.
Upcoming Performances
Look out for notices regarding our Morning Melodies concert series. Many ensembles will perform at the Rainforest Café from 8:00 - 8:20 am throughout the term. Coffee and Music — what a wonderful way to start your day!
- Wednesday 7 & Thursday 8 May at 8:30am, our Jazz Quartet and Dolce Choir perform in Grammar Hall to welcome students and teachers from all over Queensland, as Grammar hosts the Da Vinci Decathlon.
- Friday 9 May from 6:30 - 8:30 pm Bel Fine Choir performs at Coolum Civic Centre for the 'Purely Vocal' Concert.
- Sunday, 18 May at 4:30 pm - Family Chapel Service. Our annual Primary School Family Chapel Service takes place with the Dolce Choir performing. All are welcome.
- Tuesday 20 May from 3:30 - 4:00 pm - Masterclass. A session in the Music Hangar for younger students who would like to improve their performance skills.
- Thursday 22 May - Live @ The Hangar concert from 3:30-4:30 pm
- Tuesday 27 May - Live @ The Hangar concert from 3:30 - 4:30 pm
- Thursday 29th May - Live @ The Hangar concert from 3:30 - 4:30 pm
- Friday 30th May - Large Ensemble Showcase from 4:00 - 6:30 pm, Grammar Hall
- Tuesday 3 June - Year 5 Band Immersion Open Rehearsal. The families of Year 5 students are welcome to sit in for a rehearsal to see progress in action!
- Friday 6 June - Year 3 Strings Immersion Open Rehearsal. The families of Year 3 students are welcome to sit in for a rehearsal to see progress in action!
- Wednesday 11 June - Grandparents Day Assembly at 8:45 am. Dolce & Da Capo Choir perform.
- Thursday, 12 June - Grammar Rox from 4:00 - 5:30 pm. A performance in the Rainforest Cafeteria to showcase our Rock Bands
- Friday, 20 June - Foundation Day Assembly at 8:45 am. To include: Symphonic Band, Forest Strings, Bel Canto, Dolce and Da Capo.
Victoria Bradbury
Director of Music Performance