The Arts

Here at Sunnybank all students have the opportunity to study in the Key Learning Area of The Arts

The Arts Curriculum covers a range of Strands, of which four are on offer:

• Art
• Music
• Drama
• Media

The same strands are on offer in both the Junior and Senior sections of the school.
In the Junior School, The Arts form part of the multi-disciplinary approach that shapes the way all curriculum will be delivered to Year 8 and for students in Year 9 either Art, Music or Drama may be chosen as part of the Key Learning Area.
In the Senior school, Year 10 Students have the option of studying Media, as well as Visual Art, Music and Drama. Year 11 and 12 Students may choose from a range of Queensland Schools Authority Subjects that contribute towards their Overall Position (OP) for Tertiary Entrance (TE) and also from a range of Study Area Specification subjects (SAS).

These OP, or Authority subjects include:

• Visual Art
• Film, Television and New Media
• Music
• Drama
• Music Extension – Performance.

The Study Area Specification (SAS) subjects include:

• Creative Arts Music
• Creative Arts Visual
• Creative Arts Drama

In addition to these subjects, all students at Sunnybank, regardless of which of the Arts they have chosen to study, have the opportunity to be part of the Instrumental Music Programme. These students meet twice a week on Tuesday and Friday morning before the commencement of the school day to practice and rehearse for the variety of school and community events at which they will perform throughout the school year.

Visiting specialist teachers provide instruction in;

• Woodwind
• Percussion
• Brass instruments.

The school at present has a range of small and large ensembles:

• Concert Band
• Stage Band
• Rock Band
• Small ensembles for flutes, clarinets and Saxophones
• Percussion ensemble
• Brass ensemble.

All the Arts subjects, whether in the Junior school, where they are regarded as part of the Key Learning Area (KLA) requirements, or in the Senior School, where they are part of the OP and SAS range of subjects, are organised in a similar way. All have an emphasis on the three stages of the art-making process:

Design or planning or forming or composing

Making or presenting or performing

Appreciating or responding to art.

The names given to these processes in the arts vary from one art-form to another but essentially they are very similar. As well as its in-class activity, The Arts Faculty at Sunnybank is heavily involved in a range of extra-curricular activities.

At present, there is a multi-cultural performance called “Culture Snaps” every year. Culture Snaps provides a “snap shot” of the rich multi cultural mix which comprises our school community. The Arts Department also conducts a number of evenings throughout the year to show case the activities of the Visual Art, Music, Media and Drama strands of the Arts Department.
In addition, there is an afternoon Drama programme for those students who demonstrate a high level of commitment and flair for drama.

There are annual Instrumental Music Nights that supplement the large range of performance opportunities for students in the Instrumental Music programme.

Students’ Art works are exhibited in the Minister’s Art Awards as well as in a range of other Art competitions.
Further, students regularly have the opportunity to participate in a range of community art projects and competitions such as the annual “Art Waves Exhibition” held at the Logan Art Gallery each August. This is followed every year by the Minister’s Art Awards, a state wide event at which our students have excelled in the past three years.