Shine Weekly Focuses Aut22 Edition

Autumn term 2022

This term, alongside The Magician’s Chamber theme for 4–7s and Ebenezer for 7–12s, the children will work on developing a different social skill each week. Useful sessions covering speaking clearly, adopting a positive outlook and using effective eye contact will get the academic year off to a great start.

Week 1: 1st - 4th September

Nice to meet you

4-7s: We’ll play fun greeting games as we get acquainted after the summer break whilst welcoming new friends to the class.

7-12s: We’ll get into the riotous groove of our new Ebenezer show as we reunite with old friends and say hello to new ones.

Week 2: 5th - 11th September

Eye contact

4-7s: Sometimes children find it hard to look adults in the eye when talking to them, especially when meeting for the first time. Through role-play we’ll look at why it’s important to use good eye contact and how a recipient feels when you don’t.

7-12s: Confident communication requires excellent eye contact. We’ll play lots of fun eye contact exercises to demonstrate why it’s crucial to look into the eyes of the person you’re talking to and how to embrace an audience when speaking to a group.

Week 3: 12th - 18th September

Perfect your posture

4-7s: Perfect posture helps us look more assertive and is a good habit to develop when young. We’ll see how Merlin looks when he’s slouching, and how this changes when he stands tall and proud.

7-12s: When we practice proper posture, we stand more upright which boosts confidence. We’ll demonstrate how good posture affects our voice and breathing which helps us when we act and sing.

Week 4: 19th - 25th September

Project but don't shout

4-7s: Children can struggle to understand the difference between projection and shouting. Using our specially designed PERFORM checklist, we’ll practise projecting our voices with confidence.

7-12s: Healthy projection means that your voice is amplified naturally and comfortably and is perceived by the listener in the same way. We’ll demonstrate why it’s important to project when performing.

Week 5: 25th September - 2nd October

My opinion is...

4-7s: Healthy projection means that your voice is amplified naturally and comfortably and is perceived by the listener in the same way. We’ll demonstrate why it’s important to project when performing.

7-12s: Children who voice concerns and can talk about things freely, will likely take these skills with them into the world. We’ll discuss the fact that an opinion can never be right or wrong!

Week 6: 3rd - 9th October

Sharing is caring

4-7s: Children need to learn to share so they can make and keep friends, play cooperatively, take turns and cope with disappointment. We’ll improvise scenarios where we do and don’t share.

7-12s: Sharing teaches children about compromise and fairness and introduces the concept of negotiation. We’ll see if Ebenezer Scrooge can share!

Week 7: 10th - 16th October

Excellent enunciation

4-7s: Enunciation refers to speaking in a clear and understandable way, fully pronouncing each word. We’ll play some funny word games to make sure we don’t order roast lamb when we really want toast and jam!

7-12s: Actors need to consider enunciation when they are learning their lines, which means the tone, volume and pitch of their voice. We’ll bring this to life with some fun role-play involving our Ebenezer characters.

Week 8: 17th - 23rd October

Be positive

4-7s: With confidence and positivity, children are more likely to achieve their goals. We’ll demonstrate the power of having a positive attitude rather than taking a negative stance.

7-12s: Science says it’s natural to dwell more on negative thoughts than on positive ones, and this can be truer for children. We’ll channel our positive super-powers in this high-energy session.

Week 9: 29th October - 4th November

Be a wise owl

4-7s: Children should be encouraged to learn from mistakes and try again if at first they do not succeed. We’ll look at what can lead to us being more wise which helps us make good choices in life.

7-12s: Wisdom grows with age, and we can encourage this by being open to learning from both our experiences and our mistakes. We’ll discuss which of our characters is wisest.

Week 10: 5th - 11th November

I know how your feel

4-7s: Caring about how others may be feeling is an important human trait, allowing us to be compassionate and kind. We’ll show how important empathy is when making friends.

7-12s: Developing empathy allows an actor to take on the emotions of the character they are portraying. We’ll discuss the difference between sympathy and empathy and explore the power of emotional memory.

Week 11: 12th - 18th November

Vocal dynamics

4-7s: We can change our voices depending on the situation we’re in which is a skill we can develop. We’ll experiment with quiet voices, medium voices and loud voices in this lively session.

7-12s: From scared to bossy or excited to angry, the tone of our voice shows others how we feel. We’ll practise our vocal acting abilities using different expressive voices.

Week 12: 19th - 25th November

The art of ad-lib

4-7s: We can change our voices depending on the situation we’re in which is a skill we can develop. We’ll experiment with quiet voices, medium voices and loud voices in this lively session.

7-12s: From scared to bossy or excited to angry, the tone of our voice shows others how we feel. We’ll practise our vocal acting abilities using different expressive voices.

Week 13: 26th November - 2nd December

Stand up for yourself

4-7s: Often children lack assertiveness but this can be developed, enabling children to stand up for themselves and build resilience. We’ll role-play scenarios to show what assertiveness means.

7-12s: Assertiveness is used to communicate feelings, thoughts, and beliefs in a respectful, clear and honest manner. In this class we’ll look at how we can develop this skill.