By Violet Li
Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School has had a bustling September so far with its Art Festival in full swing.
The school celebrated the festival on Friday 6 September.
“It was important for us to highlight the incredible work that’s happening around the school in the arts area,” principal Sally Webb said.
She pointed out that the highlight of the day was the singing and dancing performance.
“They had their moment to shine, and they felt so proud. The audience really encouraged them,” she recalled.
“A lot of those children who performed are English as an Additional Language (EAL) students who don’t speak much English at all, but they were up there singing songs on their own.
“For me, that really highlights the culture that we’ve established in the school.”
Ms Webb said the festival was celebrating and putting arts at the forefront.
“Often arts is seen as an add-on to the core curriculum or a nice thing to have,” she said.
“Whereas we see it as equally important as English and Maths because it builds those creative thinking skills that are required to be effective learners.
“So it’s not just about painting a picture or filling in time.
“To be engaged in the creative arts used to support learning across all areas.”
