Primary Focus

Much has been said and written about Early Child Development and the importance of the first years.

As teachers and parents we're often reminded of the great responsibility afforded us to do the best we can to ensure our students and children get the best start in their education journey.

Studies show the first 8 years  life are critical to the child's holistic growth. The emotional, social and physical development of young children has a direct effect on their overall development and on the adult they will become. 

At Helen O' Grady we don't see this a daunting task or great challenge to shy away from. We see this as an opportunity to make a life-changing impact on the young ones who carry our future.

Our primary school programme gives students the start they need for this all-round development. We are thrilled to part of every child's journey!

EXPRESS YOURSELF

In today’s world it’s so hard for kids to just be themselves.

Pressure comes from a number of avenues – friends, 

teachers, TV, family and unknowingly children are being told who to be to fit in. 

At Helen O’ Grady, along with our parents we strive to create 

an environment where students feel safe to be who they are and express themselves freely.

Children who don’t get the opportunity to express 

themselves often grow up not knowing their own potential.

 Teaching kids how to express themselves needs to happen as

 early in life as possible—before the peer-pressure at school and from the media really kick in.

Learning how to express themselves can build their self-confidence, help them develop smart, independent thinking and nurture their creativity.

Drama gives children and youth a healthy way to express emotions like sadness, anger, aggression, happiness and excitement.

The Kuils River Upper Primary group show their great range of emotions and expressions

Every child is unique and together we can look for ways to foster the artistic expression that’s already within them.

Teaching children how to express themselves is one of the most important life skills you can give them. When children feel comfortable expressing who they are, they can make their dreams come true!

TWO Cheers for TERM II

Term two got off to an incredible start. 

It’s an exciting time for students, teachers and parents as we gear up for our annual Parent Days.

Returning students were excited to share stories of their Easter breaks and new students were happy to get stuck into the dramatic world of Helen O’ Grady. Old and new students alike were over the moon to learn about new curriculum features for the term. And teachers? We’re just so thrilled to be part of each student’s development journey.

Our Kindy groups will this term get to explore space and be part of a circus troupe.

Lower Primary students get the opportunity to create their own plays using Helen O’ Grady scene starters. Our Upper Primary stars will try their hands at script work while the Youth get to explore and enjoy all sorts of theatre development activities.

We can’t wait to get into full swing and we can’t wait to show our parents. 

Be sure to read our start of term newsletter and keep your eyes glued to this page and our Facebook page to be sure you don’t miss out.

DRAMA MAKES LEARNING FUN

As we head to the end of another term it's good to reflect on what we've learnt from principals, teachers and our students.

This time of the term and this time of the year we are especially reminded of the way in which drama benefits our students in their school classroom.

Every lesson, our students are asked and encouraged to listen to each other's ideas as well as present their own. These activities allow children to recognise the value of concentration. It also improves their concentration levels on the whole.

They may not realise but learning movement skills, performing mimes to music and playing scenarios that involve counting and keeping count help to develop important numeracy skills.

 From pirate ships to space ships to circus tents and south American jungles, drama scenarios spark in students a curiousity about the world. An inquisitive child is the first step to lots and lots of learning.

And very importantly drama has the ability to create strong friendships between children as they laugh, learn and grow together week after week after week!

Making dramatic friends

We’ve often spoken about the benefits of drama in terms of Creativity, Communication and Confidence. Those are the three key principles to all things Helen O’ Grady.

Often, however, we forget the benefits of drama for our children’s social skills.

Learning while playing different characters, realistic and not-so-realistic, gives students a great opportunity to explore parts of their personalities and find out more about who they are. In the Helen O’ Grady lesson students are also given the opportunity to do this while interacting with other students.

As students range across 2 or 3 years within the age group they get to interact with others who are older and they benefit from learning from others as well as students who are younger so they learn to mentor as well.

While the school classroom and break time play gives children the space they need to interact with other students, the drama lesson expands on this, throws in ample amounts of freedom and expression and students walk away with skill for stage AND the social space.