We have partnered with 6 other schools in our local area for at least 14 years and we operate as a highly effective collaboration. We fund ourselves and we have completed a lot of research and professional development together over the years. We have our own cultural festival and music festival. They just keep getting better.
On the last Wednesday and Thursday nights of term two we had the Kahukura Music Festival held in Cashmere High School. It was truly amazing. Watching and listening to hundreds of primary School children singing and playing instruments together is an unforgettable experience. We have so many talented music teachers, musicians and teachers across our seven schools so the professionalism of the performances is off the charts.
It is worth the rehearsals and the very late nights. Sometimes it is like herding cats as we have so many children on stage at once. Glen Campbell and Jo Finch rehearsed and managed the choir and they were so encouraging with the children. Several of the children were successfully auditioned for the Kahukura Chorale and 4 of our children Ems, Jess, Rik and Max were comperes over the 2 nights. Our theme was Music Through The Decades. Of course “Sweet Caroline,” and Oasis, “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” were the bangers. It’s amazing when the parents and whanau join in. They were encouraged to!!! Then the term ended and I was plagued by Ear Worms and everywhere I went I heard the songs and even lay in bed some nights and had the songs play over and over in my head. Believe it or not, I heard the songs playing in big shopping malls in Melbourne, and dang it, at the airport. Must've been good choices.
