A showcase of creativity and growth through music and maths

It is an exciting time at Junior School Donvale! Anticipation is in the air as we ready ourselves for yet another amazing whole-school musical. Showcasing Aladdin Jnr this year, lead roles have been cast, scenes have been distributed and sets are being designed.

Every second year, Donvale students thoroughly enjoy their chance to be on the stage and entertain family and friends. Beyond the obvious skills learnt, such as singing and choreography, our special cast also develop some other very important life skills; patience, perseverance and team work. Yes, our efforts to put all students on the stage together are enormous, but it comes with great satisfaction and reward.

Despite this huge task ahead of us, Junior School Donvale still has busy classrooms. It’s that time of year again when our budding mathematicians investigate a real-world problem for the Maths Talent Quest. How much will it cost my family to buy and care for a dog? Will it be cheaper to travel by plane or car on our next holiday? Is it cheaper to grow vegetables or buy them? The questions are endless! Students are encouraged to have a financial literacy element to their problem because again, obvious mathematical skills like the four operations may be refined, but there are important life skills being developed. Students identify problems, generate a plan to solve their problems and finally present their findings. A great deal of patience and perseverance is required. Those children who chose to undertake a project with friends develop teamwork skills that are invaluable to them in life.

With so much happening at Junior School Donvale over the coming months, we are reminded that the benefits from the children’s experiences go beyond what we first see. Whether it be the musical or the Maths Talent Quest, there are students who are trying something new. Some may be conquering a fear while others may be pushing themselves towards impressive goals. Some may be stepping into a spotlight while for others, the act of having a go will be the greatest achievement of all. No matter the student or the path they choose, there will be an opportunity to participate, learn and celebrate a triumph. For this very reason, one area of our school can never be seen as more important than another.

So sharpen your pencils and warm up those voices – there’s opportunities to embrace no matter where you look.

Alysha Byrne
Deputy Head of Junior School Donvale – Student Learning

Feature image: one of our previous hit Junior School Donvale musicals!