Goodbye my friend

My Dear Friend,

Today we stood rocking your great grandsons under the peppercorn tree outside the Woorndoo church while I listened to my girls deliver the eulogy at your funeral. I have never felt more connected to you than at that moment. In their words, your grand daughters captured beautifully the essence that was you and I felt comforted by the warmth of our shared pride in them.

The minister made a remark about a door being opened and remarkably the door of the church suddenly did just that. Some may have found that eerie but I wasn't surprised. I felt your presence keenly. You were just letting everyone know you're still in charge!

You were my oldest friend, a stable influence in my life since I was a little girl. Our relationship existed on many levels at different times. You were my mother's friend, my friend's mother, my mother in law, my ex mother in law, my children's grandmother but always, my friend.

I was a little bit scared of you as a child. It took me awhile to realise that your bark was worse than your bite. From my cosseted, only-child perspective, your rules were tough but I learnt to live with them because I loved being part of your big, rambunctious family. I loved the bickering and horse play and shared chores. I loved the routine of it; poached eggs for breakfast and a teaspoon of tea for each person and one for the pot.

When I married your son I became a bona fide member of the family and our relationship took a new turn. As a young farmer's wife I was in awe of your ability to manage a household, cook 3 meals a day and smoko for 6 or 8 or 10 or more without raising a sweat, all the while keeping the bench tops sparkling and the floors clean enough to eat off. In hindsight I can only imagine how difficult it was for you to put up with my messiness when I moved into your pristine former home.

We shared many cups of tea and the occasional glass of sherry during the long, lonely Summer harvests. I learnt how to keep the house cool in the heat, to be thrifty with water, how to cook mutton in 57 different ways and to never leave the fly wire open. I learned that the key to cleanliness is that shoes MUST ALWAYS be removed at the door and I discovered that if you really want something done, you should do it yourself. I watched you chop the heads off chickens, kill snakes and knock holes in the wall. We learnt to respect each other's strengths. We shared secrets and played cards and laughed a lot.

And then I became a mother myself and you, a doting but no nonsense grandmother. You never once tried to interfere with my bumbling parenting (though I'm sure you felt like it!) Instead you praised me and gave me the confidence I needed to do a good job. When my own mum died, you cleaned my house, cooked all the food for the wake, looked after Jaime and cradled me like a baby until I had the strength to look after myself again.

As your brother said to me today, "With Leila, you were either in, or out." I was lucky enough to be 'in' and stayed that way even when I broke your heart. Divorce may have seen me 'unfriended' by lots of people, but not by you. While you hated my decision, you understood it. Our family ties wavered but our friendship stood firm. Your decision to keep me 'in' allowed my new family and my old family to blend together. You gave my girls the gift of unity, never forcing them to choose between their parents. You were happy to 'rouse' my new husband and son just the way you roused your own. Today your new daughter in law took my hand at the cemetery and we said goodbye to you together. If that's not testament to your ability to bring people together, nothing is.

We disagreed about politics, religion, technology and feminism and whether or not lipstick was mandatory when leaving the house! You were black and white while I always live in the grey but we agreed on the things that count most; love and loyalty. I'm sad that we won't be able to share any more conversations, but I'm happy for you that you're no longer stuck in that little room waiting to move on. I know your energy still exists; I saw it today in the faces of all your gorgeous grown up grandchildren and your ever increasing brood of great grand children.

Thank you for being my friend.

Love, Ann(e) xxx

28 Days of Writing 3 - My ideal school

I'm cheating a bit today because it's been a very long day and I'm totally devoid of creativity so I'm basing this post on some multi media I already have saved.

Last year a couple of my colleagues and I participated in the Bastow course, Leading Schools in the Digital Age. I really enjoyed the course because, unlike a lot of the PD available these days, it concentrated on the pedagogy of 21st C teaching rather than the hardware.

We spent 13 weeks developing a school ICT change plan and spreading our own, individual digital wings to explore the possibilities of teaching and leading in this 'new' age. The program was run by a very slick team from @dk2_econfidence who provided us with mentoring and exposed us to the ideas of some amazing world experts, including a keynote from one of my 'internet heroes' +Alec Couros .

Anyway, one of the activities we had to complete was a 60 sec movie about our ideal school. There were several criteria that I won't bore you with but the concept really got me thinking about what is important in schools these days and when we were finished we were pretty confident that our school is well on the way to the 'ideals' we strive for.

Opportunities : Despite being out the back of beyond our kids have lots of opportunities that contribute to their success later on and probably the greatest opportunity we provide is the ability to be successful while remaining in our own, wonderful country community.

United: Our small size means we have to get along. Team work is imperative for staff and students.

Resourceful: By necessity! Our teachers, parents and students are incredibly resourceful in solving the tyrannies of distance and funding.

Interesting: Curiosity is a keystone of our curriculum. We want to grow thinkers, not followers.

Dramatic: Our Performing Arts program is second to none.

Exciting: There's certainly never a dull moment.

Adventurous: School trips to Japan and New Zealand, surf camps, cycling camps, historical re enactment camps, personal development programs, we have an adventure to suit everyone.

Leadership: At our school, it's an action, not just a badge.

Successful: The success of our students after school, in all walks of life, is testament to the success of our ideals.

Connected: We've been at the forefront of tech integration since the turn of the century. A BYOD program allows 1:1 access and connectedness for all. If we can't provide it in person we can source it online. Our school community is connected in person and via any number of social media and online programs.

Helpful: I hope so. Knowing our community so closely allows help to happen when and where it's needed.

Organised: Well, mostly!

Open Doors: Come, in, look around, join in.

Life long learners: We expect our staff to continue the learning journey with our students and we hope that our kids will leave school with a thirst for learning that will nourish them throughout their lives.

And so, that's OUR IDEAL SCHOOL - and yes, the old acrostic is still the primary teacher's best stand by activity ;-)

#28 Days of Writing 2 - The Magic Triangle

Day2 of my 28 day, 28 minute writing challenge.

Much is made of the importance of the relationship between a teacher and their students. John Hattie rates it right near the top of his 138 factors that influence student improvement. All good teachers understand that knowing your students and having a positive working relationship with them is vital if learning is going to take place.

But the relationship between student and teacher is not a linear one, it's triangular and at the apex is the child's parents. It's very difficult ( although not impossible) to foster a positive relationship with the child unless the parent is part of the team.

As a young teacher I would never have survived without the support of the parents in the small rural schools I taught in. Many times I was saved by mums or dads coming in to fix equipment (sometimes my car), to listen to reading or accompany excursions or share their expertise with the kids. At Woorndoo I even had a couple of mums who made me lunch! They embraced me in their communities and afforded me a respect that their children noticed and emulated. In these tight triangles everyone thrived.

These days we still have great parent support and I really value the great relationships I've built with parents, particularly through the Performing Arts and camps. Generally, parents are extremely supportive of our teachers and grateful for extra effort we put in. When kids see their teachers and parents working together they know that everyone is on the same team.

I feel I have been pretty lucky in having a generally positive relationship with the parents of my students but there have been exceptions. I've been sworn at often and spat upon rarely and twice I've had chairs thrown at me. I've taken abusive phone calls during dinner on Sunday nights and on a couple of occasions angry parents have turned up on my front door. On one occasion I was so terrified by a threat that I wet my pants in fear.

These irrational behaviours are thankfully very rare and as I've grown older I've become better at dealing with them and with recognizing the sort of situations that might escalate them. I understand that many of these reactions are triggered by uncertainty or anger or disappointment or the frustration of listening to a one sided perception from an upset child. I've always felt very sad for the children of these parents. Inevitably the kids are left confused, worried and embarrassed, long after the parents' angst has gone.

Even more insidious though are the 'devaluing' conversations about teachers that sometimes take place at home or in public or on social media, in front of the children. It's pretty hard for kids to respect their teachers if they think that mum and dad do not. If students are going to perform at their peak, they need to believe that their teachers are skilled at what they do. Little ears are quick to pick up on critical comments and disenchantment is contagious. I get that sometimes parents don't agree with our decisions but I wish that they would have those conversations in private, child free zones. Most issues can be clarified through honest discussion and even when they can't, we can agree to disagree.

Take the time to know your child's teachers; they are people, just like you. Attend parent teacher interviews, read the notes that are sent home, communicate often, by whatever medium suits you. If something about school bothers you, ask questions. Don't take everything your child says verbatim ( I promise we don't believe EVERYTHING they say about you). Offer assistance for extra curricula activities or at the very least, show support for the teachers who provide them. Be a presence in your child's education, all the way through school, even when they say they don't want you to. They will reap the benefit later.

The optimal space for learning is where school, student and family are all on the same page. At the end of the day we are all working toward exactly the same goal - happy, healthy, well educated children.

#28 Days of Writing - Day 1

I love a new challenge and given that I've broken my elbow and had to give up on some of the more physical challenges I'd planned for the start of the year, and because I feel bad for not taking on a Feb Fast (I'm great at taking on new things, not so good at giving up established habits), the idea of establishing a writing routine by writing for 28 minutes, every day for 28 days, is an appealing one.

I'm hoping that this challenge will embed a reflective writing routine that will help me to overcome the procrastination and fear of mediocrity that usually sabotages my blog posts. I'm also hoping I can use this as a modeling exercise for my students, showing them that it is possible in everyone's busy day to find time for reflection and writing.

What will I write about? Like the rest of my blog, these pieces will be about my experience, as a person and a teacher. Growing older is a privilege and I welcome the opportunity to share the triumphs and tragedies that have shaped my life. Through sharing we connect with others and our own learning can be passed on and become part of the fabric of someone else's life story. It's the closest to immortality we can get.

Teaching consumes most of my life and so it is the basis for most of my experiences. I've been teaching all my working life and - with time out for child rearing- this will be my 30 somethingth year at the chalkface.

Contrary to romantic fiction, as a kid I had no burning desire to be a teacher, no yearning to mould young lives or become the font of all wisdom. I wanted to leave school in year 11 and become a dental nurse but (thankfully), the teacher I asked for a reference told the dental hospital that I would make a crap dental nurse; that I should finish yr 12 and go to university. Back in the 70's, country girls who wanted to go to university and then come home and marry their boyfriends only had two choices, nursing or teaching. University was free in those days (thanks Gough Whitlam), and better still there was a shortage of teachers so the government offered studentships to high achieving HSC students who were willing to sign up to the Department and teach anywhere in Victoria for 3 years after their training. The studentship paid enough to house and feed me in the city and that was a good enough reason- along with the fact that in those days nurses had to wear very dowdy uniforms and silly hats- for me to pack my bags and head off to Melbourne Teacher's College.

Luckily for me, I fell in love with teaching on my first placement, a Prep class in Nth Melbourne and I never looked back. I love schools. They have their own aura, their own smell, their own energy.

These days I share my time between teaching, curriculum development and student welfare but it's the classroom time that I really love. Being able to influence the development of young people is an amazing opportunity and watching learning happen is an astounding experience, one that I never get tired of.

Of course, its not all beer and skittles but my timer is on 22 minutes and there's no way I'm hitting the publish button without some basic proof reading, so that's a post for another day!

Happy Straya Day

We went to an Australia Day ceremony this morning. It was the real deal; flags, face tattoos and Mike Brady, ( in person), singing 'Up there Cazaly'! There was a Lion's Club BBQ and an older citizen playing the piano accordion.

But best of all there were the Moyne Shire Australia Day awards and we were there to see one of our students receive the 2015 Young Citizen award.

Charmie is one of those kids who makes a teacher's life worthwhile. At the end of the day what every teacher wants to do is make a difference to the world and while we may not be able to do that ourselves, we can have an influence on young people who might.

We first met Charmarelle McCarroll when she was 10 and a student in our year 5 class. Geoff declared her name to have too many double letters, so we called her Bruce! In an early sign of tenacity and resilience, she embraced the nickname and answered to it throughout the three years she spent in our teaching unit. Even then you could tell Charm was destined for success. Bright and inquisitive, she was a 'hands up' kid, quick to challenge her own and others' thinking, brave enough to make the odd mistake if it meant learning something new.

In year 8 we lost sight of Bruce for awhile. As is often the case with teenagers, she tried out her alter ego, the less successful version. She rebelled against her own intelligence and tried lots of strategies to 'fit in'. One of those included not speaking to us (I believe for fear she might have to acknowledge she was running just a wee bit off the rails). However, one of the great aspects of P-12 schooling is knowing your students before they turn into terrible teens, so we knew not to give up on her. We knew the real Charmarelle was hiding behind the mask so we enticed her out with the offer of a place in Geoff's VCE Drama class, even though she was only in year 9. It was an inspired move because she embraced the subject and never looked back.

In year 10, Charm completed unit 3/4 Drama, a subject usually undertaken in year 12 and one that includes one of the most difficult VCE assessment tasks, the 7 minute solo. For her solo, Charm researched the genocide in Rwanda and constructed a performance that reflected the desperation and terror of that regime and compared it to the similarly violent crimes of Joseph Kony. The performance earned her an A+ and an elite invitation to audition for Top Acts. I think it was during the solo research period that Charmarelle's humanitarian future was confirmed.

She joined the Moyne Shire My PlaYce project and began working on projects to assist the youth in our area. These included plans for the skatepark, the Battle of the Bands and Freeza. She also became part of the school leadership team, taking on the role of Communications Captain before assuming the School Captain's role in Year 12. At the end of year 11 she paid her way to the Philippines as part of the Alternative to Schoolies Program and helped to build a school in a remote village.

By the time she started Yr 12, Charm had already racked up an impressive start to her ATAR by completing 3 subjects early. With room to spare in her timetable she agreed to become my 'guinea pig' by taking on a brand new subject called the Extended Investigation. Mostly the domain of the high end independent and select entry schools who had previously had a chance to trial the subject, this presented a new and terrifying but exciting challenge for both of us. The subject requires students to complete a research thesis, similar to those undertaken in under grad uni subjects, including an ethics submission and an oral defence. At an info day in Melbourne we heard of a student who had investigated the notion of peace on the Gaza Strip by flying to Israel to interview the Defence Minister and another who had investigated immigration patterns by interviewing the past 7 Australia Immigration Ministers. We were encouraged to enrol at the State Library and to subscribe to costly research publications. With international airfares, political connections and long day trips to Melbourne out of the question it seemed like a fairly uneven playing field but Charmarelle was undaunted by this inequity. She wanted her study to make a difference and chose the local aged care facility for her field research and Google Scholar for the literature search. Applying for shire funding, she sourced a set of iPads and with the Yr 8-10 Advance class in tow, set out to teach the residents how to use social media to stay connected to their lives beyond the walls of the facility. The score for her thesis became insignificant compared to her desire to improve the lives of the local senior citizens.

With the written thesis due in early September, tragedy struck. Charmarelle's father went missing. A couple of weeks later, just before the Swot Vac period, sadly he was found dead. While the world as she knew it dissolved around her, this kid stood strong. She delivered the eulogy at her dad's funeral, kept serving coffee to keep herself financially viable, came to terms with the demons that threatened to knock her over and refused to give in. She handed in her thesis, (you can read it here if you want), sat all her exams and continued to work toward a brighter future. That she achieved an outstanding ATAR of 93.05 and became dux of her class was almost unbelievable for most people but not for me.

Charmarelle embodies everything that Australia Day should be about. She is living proof that hard work pays and that country kids can achieve great things. In a school that values persistence and 'all roundedness', she has thrived. Naturally athletic she's shone at swimming, athletics and netball. Unable to hold a singing note, she's nevertheless commanded the stage and played every important character role in every year's school musical. She has become an accomplished public speaker through debating and leadership opportunities. She has been bullied by people who couldn't cope with her tall poppiness and her lack of tolerance for fools, but with the knowledge that she will soon leave them in her wake, their words have been water off a duck's back. She has allowed her desire to succeed overcome the desire to conform.

Not everyone likes the 'DeManser' style of teaching - the immediate feedback, tell it like it is, refuse to accept mediocracy method- but Charmarelle has embraced it. Outside of school I believe she has sought out and accepted the same approach from her netball coaches, her employers, her family and her mentors at leadership camps. Today when she accepted her award and acknowledged the part Mortlake College had played in her success, my heart swelled with pride. When she thanked me by name, I cried.

Congratulations again Charmie-Macharelle-Charmarelle-Bruce. I can't wait to hear where the next episode leads you.

De Mansers & Daughter - Welcome to the firm

There's been cause for celebration in our family this term because the middle child has started her first full time job. A child's financial independence is always an exciting time for parents but this one is special. Not only has Sophie landed a job - she has joined the family business and become a teacher! And for this term, she is working in our school, with us!

This was the child who swore black and blue, despite her obvious aptitude for teaching, that this was a job she would NEVER do. Bought up in a household with two teachers, she always had a very realistic view of what life at the chalkface is like. She knew about the long hours, the lack of recognition, the absolute certainty that she would never be rich on a teacher's wage. She knew that many times the needs of other peoples' kids had come before her own and she swore not to take on that sort of commitment herself. When she finished school with a score that put her in the top 2% of the state, she had the choice of any course she wanted, so off she went to make a million dollars in the media industry.

And then, suddenly, she grew up and realized that life is not all about making money. That a life fulfilled is one that makes a difference to the world and one way you can contribute to a better planet is by creating better people. She remembered that whether by nurture or nature, she was already a great teacher and so off she went to get another degree.

And now, not only has she joined 'the' family business, she's teaching in my old classroom! In the same classroom that I taught her. A room that still has her rainbow fish art work on the wall from year 5 and 2 bookshelves cluttered with teaching memorabilia from my 16 years at the school. 

 This is a little confronting for me. My teacher mortality radar just switched into panic mode. Sophie is teaching the kids of kids I taught before she was even thought of. She has decades of a brilliant teaching career in front of her and I have....... not so many. I'm being replaced by a newer, shinier, albeit less experienced but with the potential to be a much better version of myself! She's tidied the shelves, thrown out most of my disorganised rubble and, for the next term, she's going to be working from the same desk on which she once left her mother cute notes!

I'm brimming with pride at her professionalism and enthusiasm. I love the fact that her teaching style is so like mine - she's already raising an authoritarian eyebrow with flair - and that she's at work early so the day is organized and she's willing to adapt to any task, with any class because she knows that she's a teacher of students, not subjects. But, I'm also a little afraid for her.

Teaching is a tough gig and it's getting tougher by the year.  I've spent countless nights looking after sick kids on camp, countless dollars providing materials and food and experiences for kids who couldn't afford them. In my 35 years in the classroom, I've been sworn at, spat on and kicked. I've had chairs thrown at me and I've been abused on the phone and in my own home by parents who haven't liked me calling their children to task over minor or major misdemeanours. I've counseled and cajoled, pleaded and pushed kids to get their work done, hand their homework in, learn their lines, do their best. I've cleaned up tears and urine and faeces and more vomit than you can imagine (Did you know it's impossible to get all the vomit out of the eyelets of leather boat shoes?). I've written countless referrals to doctors and lawyers and human services looking for help for kids with special needs. Even after they've left school, I've written glowing references and sourced scholarships and work placements. I've survived 6 major curriculum changes driven by politicians who don't have the faintest idea about education and on top of that I've taught fire safety, road safety, cyber safety and safe sex. There are days when I despair and wonder if I wouldn't be better off in a child free, 9-5, leave your work at work sort of job. 

Do I really want this lifestyle for my own child? 

You bet! Because even on the worst days, there's the happy drawer (see the next paragraph) and the absolute confidence that no matter what, you've done your best to improve the outcomes for the kids you teach and surely some of that care and love has rubbed off on them.

So, on World Teachers' Day, here's a little indirect advice to our newest teaching graduate and all her cohort of eager, enthusiastic young teachers. Hindsight is valuable and there's some lessons in teaching that you don't have to discover on your own!

1. Leave your ego at the door. Kids are difficult and discerning customers. If you do your job properly you become invested in the kids you teach. They become part of your life. As a class teacher you often spend more time with them than their parents do but you are not and never will be their parents. To be a good teacher you need an ego that is robust enough to let you think you can teach anyone, anything but you must also be egoless enough to know that you'll rarely be credited for the success. Occasionally, you will come across a grateful child, a thankful parent. Their gratitude will feel like sunshine. Drink the wine they give you, (the real gems will know that you like red wine, not white; dark chocolate not milk), and keep their thank you notes. Put them in a 'happy drawer' and whenever you have a really bad day, get them out for another read and let their words wash over you. One day these kids will become engineers and nurses and doctors and lawyers and electricians. Some of the best will become teachers. Watch their progress on LinkedIn and bask in their success from afar.

2. Keep your cards close to your chest. If you think some of the kids are tough, wait till you meet their parents. The car park mafia are your greatest enemy. In the carpark waiting for pick up, at cricket training or netball on Saturdays, at dinner parties, in the supermarket, on Facebook, these are the places where teachers reputations are built or destroyed. All parents were once school students and some of them feel this gives them absolute knowledge of what is right and wrong with the education system and your teaching. If you continue to teach in the country, there is no escape from this. Be careful how much of yourself you divulge in the first few years. Kids have a wonderful ability to misinterpret and put their own perspective on your words before they repeat them at home. For this same reason, also be wary of the stories they tell you about their parents!

Of course, parents will also be your best ally. When parents and teachers work together and support each other, kids thrive and you will come across many wonderful parents. You'll learn to tell the difference between the snakes and the champions but it will take you awhile. After 35 yrs, I still get it wrong sometimes. In the meantime, be polite, be fair; even in the face of irrational anger or accusation, respond always with calm logic and good pedagogy. Just like you, parents just want what's best for their child.

3. Get involved. This is not news to you. Some of the richest learning, for students and teachers, happens outside the classroom. Camps, productions, sport, school events, shared interests; in these environments you really get to know your students and can teach them lessons that relate to their present and future lives. Embrace every opportunity to share extra curricula experiences. 

You already know that not all teachers are created equal and you will come across the 9-3.30, 'don't let the door hit you on the way out' variety. This will frustrate you but it's the way of the world. Every organization has a blend of those who do a lot and those who don't do much. These teachers have empty happy drawers. Model innovative and inspiring practice and sometimes others will follow.

4. Practise your mask. Teachers are always 'on'. The kids don't care that you had a busy weekend, that your dog died, that you've had a fight with your partner. They need a smiling face, an enthusiastic voice and an engaging activity. The classroom is a performance space and you have to be able to transform character in a blink. At any given time you'll need to be a psychologist, nurse, confidante, bus driver, cook. Don't be afraid to dress up, get dirty, play games and laugh. The kids will still know you're the boss when you're wearing a dinosaur onesie.

5. Be kind. As Maya Angelou once said, 'They may not remember what you taught them but they will remember how you made them feel'. Teaching is an emotional business. It's hard to deal restoratively with a kid who's just sworn at you, wrecked your lesson and distracted everyone else but staying calm and dealing with the behaviour rather than the child is vital. Be kind, be compassionate, give authentic feedback and suggestions for improvement. Remember that for some kids, school is the safest place they know. Start each class afresh and never hold a grudge. Even the worst behaved child might surprise you one day.

Keep learning; never stop. Build networks with your friends, your colleagues, online. Read, discuss, think, reflect. Enjoy.

Welcome to the firm Sophie. Happy World Teachers' Day.

Just follow the Yellow Brick Road.

We've just bumped out our school production of 'The Wizard of Oz'. It was a great show and got terrific reviews from the people who came to see it ( even some that weren't related to the cast ;-)

The planning for this year’s play started about a week after we bumped out from ‘Oliver’ last year.

At that stage, the VCE Theatre Studies students compiled a list of possibilities, taking into account the very specific requirements of our company. These requirements include;

• ·      A chorus of thousands!- Our company is open to all comers. We audition for the leads but everyone is welcome in the chorus.
• ·      Enough lead roles for all our senior students and junior stars.
• ·      A musical range that we can cope with.
• ·      A great story. Not only do we want the kids to perform, we want them to think, to analyse and understand the story.

The VCE students are asked to complete a theatre brief on each of their chosen plays and to present these to Lyle, the director. She then investigates the availability of the scripts and the music before deciding on‘The Wizard of Oz’.

Over the Summer we hold a number of planning meetings to decide performance dates, rehearsal schedules etc.

When school starts, the 5-7 and 8-10 performing arts classes start looking at the script. Main roles are cast via audition; minor roles go to younger students who show aptitude, willingness and who take the initiative in role plays and drama games. Everyone else makes up the chorus.

Our music teacher, Kath, begins looking at the music and trying to get it into a key that we can manage. The hard slog of learning lines begins.

At this stage, Lyle starts creating her beautiful drawings of the set, the costumes and the props that will later bring the story to life on the stage.

Our Yr 12 technician Brad and the 8-10 production group start making the set and the props. Kath and I start working on the choreography, Geoff works with the senior cast and VCE Drama students on their expressive skills and Olivia starts learning where all the music tracks begin and end.

By second term, rehearsals move to the local hall and we start blocking out the play. Jenny, one of the cast parents, creates meals for everyone, every week. We try to work around footy and netball training, swimming lessons and all the other extra curricula activities our kids are involved in.

The senior students make a trip to Block Theatre in Ballarat to hire the main cast costumes while our own team of costumers,  Lyle, Wendy, Mirren and Janet, start working on the chorus costumes. With a cast of 60, all having two or three costume changes, this is a huge effort.

Once we have the costumes, Kerry and Wendy start sorting, fitting and labeling.

Kate, one of our talented mums, transfers Lyle’s drawings to the sets and she and her helpers spend hours in the shed getting the painting finished.

 

The sound desk

With a month to go, rehearsal time becomes frantic as we try, (in vain), to get all the way through the show. 

On the Sunday before performance week, we bump in. This is a full day exercise for as many helpers as we can find. An extension stage to fit our huge chorus is set up, all the sets and props are transported from school, the back rooms are scrubbed and carpeted and Geoff works out how Lyle's vision will become a reality on the stage. After many hours of saying it can’t be done, it is done. Brad and our IT tech Joel spend the next day setting up the lights and sound (not an easy task in a building built in the 30's!) and then, finally we get a chance to rehearse with the set. This means all the chorus scenes have to be reblocked because of the logistical nightmare involved in getting 60 + kids onto the stage in an auditorium that has no wings!

Bumping in.

At our last rehearsal we finally get all the way to the last scene and find out how the story ends! The kids move into their 'dressing room', a small, drafty concrete storage room that leaks when it rains (and it always rains!). The space is designed to fit about a dozen but there is little complaint from our 50 who squeeze themselves shoulder to shoulder & keep all their costumes in little boxes under their chairs. During the downtime they keep themselves busy with their iPads, books and card games. The big kids are promoted to the real dressing rooms backstage. These are also ancient and tiny but closer to the stage and with the added bonus of wall hooks!

Dressing room mayhem

Then the real fun begins. We have three night performances and two matinees. The matinees are wall to wall sell outs with kids bussing in from several surrounding schools. The night shows also attract big crowds and the cast rise to the challenge, producing their best work when it matters. Miraculously, they remember all the words, they sing like angels and the set movements go (almost) like clockwork. The chests of the new year 5 kids swell with pride and the main cast take on movie star status , even posing for photos with the audience after the show.

The last night is bittersweet. After so many weeks of rehearsal and nagging and cajoling, everything has come together beautifully and we aren't quite ready to leave Oz. And there's also the realisation that this will be the last show for our Yr 12 student, Charmarelle. The Production company is like a family and the kids who spend 8 years in it with us are very special. It's hard to say goodbye and tears are inevitable!

Charmie's last show :-(

It would be nice to run the show another week but I doubt the kids or the staff would have the energy. The teachers who work on the show put in 12 hr days for every rehearsal, 15 hrs on show nights. On top of that is the setting up, the packing up, the costumes, communication with parents and other staff at school, all while managing full time teaching duties and mid year reports. We're lucky to have an ever growing team of great parent helpers but nevertheless, the show takes a toll and we're ready for a holiday. For Lyle there will still be several more long days, returning everything to it's rightful place and washing and sorting costumes. As much work as the rest of us do, she does triple. She is the creative and driving force behind the show and we worry that one day she will retire!

So, what is it that keeps us coming back each year to produce our blockbuster musicals?

It's simple. We've been at it for quite some time now and we've seen the results of the children who are exposed to dramatic arts on a consistent basis. Almost without exception the production kids exceed their own potential in all sorts of areas, especially academic ones. Not only do we observe this, we can prove it by comparing their VCE scores with their externally assessed GAT (General Achievement Test) scores. And international research says the same thing, like this study by UCLA that found that kids involved in the arts do better academically. 

Why is that? What are the students learning by doing the play that helps them to achieve great things academically? What does their drama work add to their ability to become leaders?

Here's just a few that I've noticed;

Self- Confidence - Standing up on stage singing your heart out to an audience requires bravery and teaches kids to trust themselves. The confidence gained by doing this applies to school, career and life. This is especially true for boys. Singing and dancing isn't stereotypically encouraged amongst boys in the country but when they are supported to be involved then they often reap twice the benefits that the girls do. Our performing art's boys grow up to be self assured, confident, articulate and charming young men.

Cooperation & Collaboration - A successful performance can only be achieved through team work. In our company, kids from age 10 - 18 work together to produce something amazing. This has a great spill over into normal school life where these kids continue to ignore age and year group barriers.

Concentration - Learning lines and dance steps, practising and performing develops a balanced focus of mind, body and voice. I've seen non readers learn to read by having to learn a script. ADHD kids (while a nightmare in the warm up room!), often find strategies for self control that transfer to the classroom later on.

Communication Skills - Drama enhances verbal and non verbal communication. It improves articulation of words, projection, persuasive speech and fluency of language. It promotes listening skills and the ability to improvise. The graduates from our company can get up and speak anywhere, anytime, to anyone - in class, to their footy team, when accepting awards, running assemblies, making speeches at birthdays and funerals and presentations in the work place.

Physical Fitness - Movement improves flexibility, coordination, balance and control.

Resilience - Not everyone can have the lead role so auditioning is risky and requires kids to overcome their fear of failure. And once you've twirled around the stage in a white cape pretending to be a snowflake, you can do anything!

Perseverance - Learning lines is hard. Rehearsing can be boring. There's a lot of waiting your turn and putting up with other people forgetting their lines. You have to commit and turn up every week. There are no quitters in our team.

Memory- Memory is like a muscle, it improves with practice.

Emotional & social outlet - So many social situations can be learnt through Drama. Aggression and tension can be released through 'play acting' in a safe and controlled environment. We have several children on the Autism spectrum in our company. They are super stars on stage.

Imagination - Today's world needs graduates who can imagine and create. Drama feeds imagination.

Relationships - Working together to achieve a common goal builds relationships between staff and students, students and students, parents and staff. The production gives teachers a chance to see kids in a different space than the classroom. It gives kids the chance to know their teachers as people and team mates rather than opposition. Members of this company are friends and mentors for life. Those who stick with the company until year 12 are inducted into our Hall of Fame and these students often return to support the show and are always available as mentors for our younger students.

A backstage visit from some 'Hall of Famers'.

We put the show on 6 weeks early this year because some of our kids are going to Leadership School and on exchange next semester. It was a good plan because we seem to have avoided the annual production plague that often decimates the chorus during show week! It was also a special production for our family, because after 10 years of going to every rehearsal and learning every line, Taine is in year 5 and old enough to get up on the stage. He was an awesome munchkin/crow/ozian/winkie ;-)

Taine's first show!

So, that's the story of our little (grand) school production and some of the reasons why we're passionate about it. We're very proud of our show. For a school of just 250 kids, with no funding and no facilities, we do an awesome job and the payback is well worth all the hard work. 

If you've got kids, get them into performing arts.

Cast and crew of 'Oz'.