Letter to Family and Friends

Dear Pilgrim Families,

Wow! What a busy and special week to finish off the term! 

It has been some time since our entire school was involved in a musical and it was wonderful to see each member of our school community pull together to present this week's performances.  

Those of us working in admin areas of the school don't have the opportunity to see rehearsals, but are involved in setting up ticketing, promotion, information for parents, programs and bookings. Usually we know the songs from hearing them practised in the classes throughout the term. This year our Front Office staff missed out on some of that preparation by being located in the Campus Office,  however I did hear one of the tradesmen last week comment 'that's the third time I've heard that song today!' as another class started to practise 'I'm singing in the rain'. I considered offering him tickets to the finished performance! 

For this year's musical, I had the privilege of helping to rewrite the script. It meant it was amazing for us to see what had come together from everyone's hard work; to see concepts we had dreamed up on a creative day or two, become a reality.  

You realise, when you are part of something like this, how much of a team effort it all is. Everyone has a role and if each person does their little, or big, part well, it all comes together. Some of our Year 6 students had main roles, some had support or smaller roles, and some chose to work backstage. In other year levels, students learnt songs, movements, lines and blocking, some students chose to audition for dancing or to be involved in the choir.  

We had Lara, a past graduate, choreograph dances and Ryan, a current parent, provide his high level of expertise with the sound requirements and arrangements for performances. As parents and caregivers, you encouraged your children, sourced costumes, and made sure you follow the many detailed directions to get everyone to the right place at the right time with all they needed (well mostly!).  

With staff, it was the same. Sue Matena had the role of Director, and each of the other staff brought their talents, time and efforts to contribute to the musical. We all have different gifts: to teach the choir to sing, create amazing car props, choreograph movement, play accompaniment, film and edit video clips, take beautiful photographs, solve technical audio problems, design and create special costumes, draw cartoons, find accessories for characters and the stage, create stage directions, prompt actors with lines, welcome and  

usher people to their seats. Each person brought their best to their role and together the musical came to life. 

If one of our main characters had said 'I can do this alone', we might at best have had a monologue or solo. If I had been given the role of creating a car prop, it probably would have looked like a box with paper plates for wheels (I probably could manage a kindy level creation!). 

It reminds me of part of 1 Corinthians 12 which speaks about the body of Christ. 

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ... Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. ... If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ... If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. 

And so we rejoice in the efforts of every member of our school and the part we each played in an excellent production.  We are thankful for the many and varied gifts and talents across our school community and the willingness to work together in an opportunity such as our school musical.

Enjoy the holiday break! 

Blessings,

Kristen Heath

Administration Coordinator