Week 5 and It’s a Wrap- We Finally Found Nemo!

Dear Families,

My Principal news this week comes in two parts: a reflection on the remarkable performances of our students in Finding Nemo Jr, then a summary of general news including important end-of-year dates, reminders and our classroom staff list for 2024.

I’m sure many of the audience members from the two nights of the show are still singing the songs and still on a high from the joy that emanated from our students on the stage at Malvern Town Hall.

As with any school event of this magnitude, it certainly took the collective efforts of all members of our community to bring it together.

Firstly, to the stars of the show: our students! A huge congratulations to our Year 5s and 6s in their lead roles, showcasing their talents for all to see. From the leads of Michael, Grace and Frances, to the outstanding ‘Tank Gang’ and Reef Parents and Kids, from Sharks to Turtles, baby fish to tiny jellyfish…and let’s not forget our Barracuda…each child played an integral part in bringing the show to life with energy and enthusiasm from start to finish.

Our Preps to Grade 4s also participated with gusto and energy, whatever their role in the show. I hope the memories from Nemo stay with them for life, particularly for those who were (initially) reluctant to perform, but who pushed themselves on the night to ‘go with the flow’. Again, what a joy to witness this process and to see individual children grow in confidence over the past few months. Priceless!

As I said on Thursday evening, opportunities for creativity and performance are essential for children; it allows them to stretch beyond their comfort zone and grow in confidence. For some children, performing on stage can be life-changing, and at St Joseph’s I am proud that we can provide this opportunity in the arts without removing our focus on high academic achievement, in fact, these elements go hand in hand. The performing arts play a vital role in children's development by fostering creativity, communication skills, collaboration, self-discipline, and growth in confidence. They provide a well-rounded and enriching educational experience that can have a lasting positive impact on a child's life.

I know many parents were thrilled, and surprised, to see their child thrive on the stage!

My mantra to staff is that there’s no room for mediocrity when setting the conditions for our children to flourish- they are far too precious for that! I love this quote from the late and great Sir Ken Robinson, a fellow ‘Liverpudlian’ who was passionate about creativity and Arts Education:

“Human resources are like natural resources; they're often buried deep. You have to go looking for them, they're not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves.”

― Ken Robinson

The talents of the St Joseph’s students were certainly there for all to see on Wednesday and Thursday evenings!

Thank you for the lovely emails that came through following the show:

“Finding Nemo was absolutely incredible, well done to the amazing team for going above and beyond to bring such a magical experience to all our students and our community.”

“What a fabulous way to showcase our school and bring our community together in such a fun way. The directing, the choreography, the make-up, the costumes, the props, the technology, the bar, the program, the pre-show, the practices with the children, and all of the bits and pieces along the way everything was done to such a high standard…. Well done to all! “

“A massive CONGRATULATIONS to you on Finding Nemo. It was absolutely bl**** brilliant!! I loved every single moment, and I cannot wait for the DVD so I can watch it again!”

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the truly wonderful school musical, "Finding Nemo Jr." It was a delight to attend the performance, and I couldn't be more proud of the school's talented students. As a grandmother, I have witnessed many school productions over the years, but this one was special. The acting, singing, and dancing of all the students who graced the stage were simply outstanding. I am also deeply appreciative of the teachers, staff, and everyone who played a role in making this musical a success. Thank you!

“I can’t express the words to say how much I enjoyed Finding Nemo Jr. Congratulations to you and your team. The children were amazing, the community spirit at St Joseph’s is amazing. I am filled with pride not only for my grandchildren, but for every one of the children some of whom I have gotten to know through my grandchildren. Thank you again.”

Words of thanks:

to Michael H, James N and the P+F team and volunteers for assisting Isabelle, Lynnette and Stacey with the very busy bar pre-show and during the intermission. As predicted, the profits from this were substantial!

To Niamh F and Hudson P (ex-students) who came along on the two nights to assist with all sorts of things! We also welcomed back Miss Vink who assisted Karen and the costume team.

Kerry and Kate C (Henry Y5) who provided much of the fabric for our costumes
To our exceptionally talented team of mums who have been sewing for months: Jade O, Laura P, Joanna S, Fleur D and Amy B- the costumes were amazing! Miss Karen worked her heart out to ensure all children were ready to go with costumes, and our team of mums helped her enormously along the way.

To ex-parent Jason Williams for the professional cast photographs- they looked great and very ‘Broadway’!

To Nina Cavicchiolo, the talented photographer who captured many of the precious moments on Wednesday evening
To our sponsors, PPT Productivity and Belle Property, thank you for your generous support
To Andre, Mark and the team from ‘YourShow’, the lighting, sound and all the technical side of things ran seamlessly thanks to your expertise. We’ll definitely book you in for 2025!
To the Stonnington Council staff at Malvern Town Hall for being so accommodating and for also providing a grant that covered the cost of the hall hire. We are very grateful!

To our staff:

to Edel for working so well with the children on their stagecraft and singing- you should be very proud of your work!; to Kirsten and Kate for choreography- wow!!; to Marta and Gloria and staff for props and set pieces; to Celia and staff for makeup; to Briely for the Merch!; to Clare and Georgie for the programme and pre-show presentation (what a hit!); to Stacey, Isabelle and Lynnette for the bar and all of those ‘behind the scenes’ things; to Martin, Marta, Kate, Gloria and our new 'Mr G', Liam C, for stage management; to Marcus for operating the digital scenery in his usual calm manner; to Liam G for ensuring the music was spot on throughout the two nights; to all staff who helped with supervision on both nights and helped with costume changes; and of course, thank you to Karen for ensuring every child looked amazing! What a fantastic achievement!

'Behind the Scenes'...

Of course, the atmosphere was electric and the energy levels were high in the Banquet Hall (aka the 'holding room') as children and staff prepared for the show. Nina captured these precious moments beautifully!

On a more practical note, please ensure all costumes are returned this week, preferably in the named bag that was sent home. Thank you to St Mary’s Hampton, St Joan of Arc Brighton, Costumed without Drama, the team from Stage Left and St Kevin's Glendalough, who were very generous in allowing us to borrow some of their costumes. We promise to return them soon!

Finally, we underestimated how popular the programme would be and I erred on the side of caution as I still have about 50 programmes left from Aladdin! If you would like to purchase a copy, not quite the same standard as the glossy ones on sale, please send $10 to the office in a named envelope and they will print one for you. Alternatively, they can email a PDF for a small charge.

We had the show filmed on Thursday night, and we will let you know when it is ready for purchase…watch this space!

Thanks again to all the members of our community: our staff, our parents and especially our students. I’ve ended the year on a real high and with a heart full of joy!

Michelle

Finding Nemo Photo Reflections