The IF Foundation Visual Arts program works to follow the Framework Learning Statement for the Arts curriculum as well as the Western Australia Curriculum and Standards. This includes formulating projects that will work toward the Framework for the Arts Learning Outcomes including:
- Students generate arts works that communicate ideas.
- Students use the skills, techniques, processes, conventions and technologies of the arts.
- Students understand the role of the arts in society.
- Visual and tactile experiences in two and three-dimensional forms.
Within the classroom setting the Foundation has been utilizing the students’ interests to improve basic skills such as listening and paying attention, staying on task, sharing, and being responsible as a class. As the year has progressed, all classes have shown improvement in sharing materials, keeping on task to finish projects according to directions and cleaning up their own workspaces and general areas at the end of class.
We have seen marked improvement in individual students as well. One example is a year 2/3 girl who began the year not able to focus on projects for more than a few minutes and would wander the room for a good portion of the class consistently getting into other things and ignoring directions. In the last half of Term 3 this student has become focused enough to complete projects and then go as far as asking for her sketchbook to keep busy if she finishes early. She consistently remains focused on that for the rest of the class.
Roebourne has a large Artistic Culture handed down from generation to generation. While we work to further the student’s technical abilities we have been able to contribute to the local Community and showcase student work at the same time. One example of this has been a beautification project at a local park.
This involved gathering multiple examples of student work together in different themes and putting it together to create decorative signage.
Another example involved one of our High School students creating a digital rendering of her painting utilizing Adobe Photoshop. This design was then used as the inspiration for a graphic design for the Foundation’s Ride for Unity fundraiser. Full credit was given to the student for her work and she was very excited to be selected to provide it.
In honor of the annual School NAIDOC Week, the students assisted in the design and execution of Happy Birthday Elders banners in each of the most common Indigenous Language Groups that attend the school.
The end of September brought on our School’s 2nd Annual Term 3 Arts Night, as well as an exhibit at the area’s Red Earth Arts Festival (REAF). These are both community events designed to showcase the student’s hard work and let the families and the community see what they have accomplished.
