Exhibition: Connections

Connections, by Belmore South Public School, celebrates the beautifully complex connections in the Belmore South Public School community between teachers, students, parents, carers and colleagues. Like a network of roots linking together to nourish a thriving garden, the school community relies on its own connections to thrive. A variety of works have been selected to showcase this vitally-enriching network. At the core is the connection between teacher and student. A positive connection can build a student’s confidence and self-esteem; it can promote engagement and positive learning experiences; and it can inspire happiness inside the class room and out. From this positive connection, teachers guide their students to develop and understand their own connections to the world around them. In their visual arts classes, the students of Belmore South Public School have been exploring their family histories, identity, Australian culture and multiculturalism. Through art, students explore the connections that tie them to their families, identities, culture and country.

The works chosen for this exhibition demonstrate this exploration, and reflect the positive connections the students share with their teachers in the process. Works from the Student Art Club have also been included in this exhibition. Visual art educators Ms Alexandra Dos Santos and Mrs Helen Kuzmanovska run the club weekly, giving students further opportunities to participate in competitions and community projects, and connecting them with the broader community. Finally, upholding this essential network of connections are parents and carers. Rich, meaningful connections between parents and children, and parents and teachers underlie the wellbeing of the school community. Belmore South’s fortnightly Parent Art Club is run by Ms Dos Santos and Mrs Kuzmanovska to give parents and staff the opportunity to connect over visual arts, while learning new techniques and expressing themselves. To celebrate these connections, artwork from the Club is also showcased. Through this heartfelt exhibition, Belmore South Public School invites you, too, to share a connection with them.