Rose, 10, and Mahni, 7, won the Wakakirri public speaking award. 53658
By Casey Neill
MT DANDENONG Primary School has beaten the odds to take out second place in a state-wide competition.
Almost 60 students from grades one to five took part in dance and storytelling festival Wakakirri.
Their performance, The Ripple Effect, earned them second place at last Wednesday’s state final ahead of 12 other schools.
It was their first entry in the sustainability-themed contest that challenges students to make a positive impact on the world around them.
First year teacher Jody Phillips spearheaded the project.
“It just came together,” she said.
“I’d never seen one before, so going in we actually didn’t know where we stood, what the standard was and it turned out that we had it and they were really good. I still can’t believe it. It’s amazing. I’m really proud.”
Most other schools had only grade five and six students on stage. “We definitely had the youngest cast by a mile,” Ms Phillips said. “But we held our own – plus we had the cute factor.”
Ms Phillips said students rehearsed at lunch times three days a week for a term and a half.
“We did our performance based on water and how precious water is to us,” she said.
“It was a fight between people who had none and people who kept it all for themselves.”
The water tank is broken during a battle.
“The water that they’d protected spilled out everywhere and then flowers grew from that and they got to see they’d done something good after all,” Ms Phillips said. They hope to compete again next year and go one better.
“Not that it’s about winning, but we had a great time and if we’re good at it at the same time that’s a bonus,” Ms Phillips said. The school also won the state public speaking award.
Rose, 10, and Mahni, 7, were “very nervous” about answering the host’s questions in front of the 2500 member audience. “I just told myself it was the practice,” Rose said.
Their parents were proud and excited about the win. “They were screaming after,” Mahni said.
