Kojonup Speech and Drama Festival

Kojonup Speech and Drama Festival 2015

This year we celebrated 20 years of the Kojonup Speech and Drama Festival. It all began in 1996 when Mrs Sue Thompson, a specialist English, Drama and Music teacher took on the organisation of this huge event. It was originally known as the Kojonup Speech, Drama and Arts Festival; we dropped the art section in 2012, as the interest for this section had slowly diminished.  It is now known as the Kojonup Speech and Drama Festival.  It grew from a one day festival which involved about six schools to a two day calendar event for fourteen primary schools and eight high schools. Today we still run a two day event, one day for Primary which we had eleven schools participating and one day for Secondary with two schools participating.  I have been fortunate enough to be part of this wonderful event for the last seven years.  It all began, for me, with Mrs Thompson asking for some help and it has grown from there.  And for those that know our Mrs T, when she asks for help it usually means well that’s your job now!!  The festival was always held at the Kojonup Memorial Hall but with the government funding building the extra rooms at our school in 2011 (currently the Pre-Primary room); we were able to move the event to the school.  This has allowed us to have each year group in their own room. 

On Wednesday 10^th June we held our Primary Section; we had students from: Broomehill PS, Cranbrook PS, Frankland PS, Gnowangerup DHS, Great Southern Grammar, Katanning PS, Kendenup PS, Kojonup DHS, St Bernard’s PS, St Patrick’s PS and Tambellup PS.  The festival was opened by Mr Peter Callaghan with final instructions given by Miss Morgan Dezotti.  This year we had three rooms in operation, each having their own judge, scribes and MC who had to judge over 186 performances in total.  This was a great result seeing as the Year 7 cohort has now moved to secondary.  On Thursday 11^th June we had our Secondary Section; unfortunately we had two schools pull out last week which meant that it was us and Great Southern Grammar.  We still had 40 performances.  All students performed really well; I especially enjoyed hearing the Prepared Speeches, “What ANZAC means to me”.  If was wonderful to hear the students’ points of view. Well done to everyone who participated, I think that you are all amazing for being able to get up on stage and perform.

All students performed extremely well which is a credit to their teachers, parents and the students themselves for being prepared for their presentation.  I would like to thank Mrs Hill, Miss Hewett and Miss Caldas for all the work that they have done with their students.  You should be very proud, they all did an amazing job.

A HUGE thank you to the following people who helped us make the Speech and Drama Festival a success; without your help this special event would not be able to happen:

• To our judges, scribes and MC’s: Emily Clifton, Deb Elliott, Vicki Webb, Narelle Cussons, Jane Trethowan,            Ros Trezise, Julie Parker, Virginia Baker, David Forrester, Carol Nicholls, Sam O’Halloran, Cush Prasser-Jones,   Liz Leusciatti, Caroline Rex, Belinda Marsh and Julie Sullivan.

   

• To Sue Dawes and Cathy Durack who did an amazing job in the canteen with their wonderful helpers             Michelle Moore, Nilla Rowe and Rosie Clews.

   

• To Warren Porter for everything that you do, always there when I need something moved, curtains hung, stages shifted, chairs collected, you name it he’s available.

   

• To Jessica Chambers, Paetyn Benn, Bhreez Maihi Fore-Ratima, Marnie Walsh, Dana Knopka, Karlee Porter,     Sophie Clarke, Emma Bellotti, Hannah Ramsden, Madelyn Marsh, Lucy Johnston, Taj Ramsden and Clancy Norrish.  You should all be very proud of yourselves and the way you represented our school; you all dressed smartly and behaved exceptionally.  Thank you to the parents for allowing these students to help out.

   

  Lastly thank you to everyone at KDHS who helped out in so many ways; you are all wonderful.

   

  Kojonup DHS students came away with a few medals and highly commended certificates.  Congratulations to the following students:

   

  Year 4 Poetry Humorous

  Winner – Josh Cussons – Can We Get a Dog, Dad?

  Year 4 Poetry Other

  Highly Commended - Patrick Crapella – I Love This Country

  Year 4 Mime Presentation

  Winner – Josh Cussons - Icecream

  Highly Commended – Lochie Elliott - Fishing

  Highly Commended – Zara Egerton-Warburton – The Pesky Fly

  Year 5 Poetry Humorous

  Winner – Harry Parker – Aussie Poem

  Year 5 Prepared Prose Reading

  Winner – Ashlee Ladyman – Chicken,Chicken

  Year 6 Poetry Humorous

  Winner – Lucy Johnston – Tummy Beast

  Highly Commended – Isabelle Plowman – Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

  Highly Commended – Chantelle Evans – The Aliens Have Landed

  Highly Commended – Darcy O’Halloran - Television

  Year 6 Mime Presentation

  Winner – Lucy Johnston – Footy Spectator

  Year 7 Poetry Humorous

  Highly Commended – James Rex – The Pig

  Highly Commended – Zach Baker – Sad Cat Diary

  Year 7 Poetry Original

  Highly Commended – Harry Hope – The Plan

  Year 7 Prepared Prose Reading

  Winner – James Rex – George’s Marvellous Medicine

  Year 7 Mime Presentation

  Highly Commended – Letitia Wallam – The Audition

  Year 7 Prepared Speech

  Highly Commended – Bridget Wilson – What ANZAC means to me.

  Year 8 Poetry Other

  Winner – Madelyn Marsh – Captain O Captain

  Year 8 Prepared Speech

  Highly Commended – Madelyn Marsh – What ANZAC means to me.

  Year 8 Choral Speaking

  Highly Commended – Darci Campbell, Karlee Porter, Paetyn Benn & Bhreez Maihi Fore-Ratima – Where’s My Maths Book?

  Year 10 Choral Speaking

  Winner – Dana Knopka, Reece Bristowe, Montana Daly, Sophie Clarke & Kiara Trowbridge – What If.

  Marcelle Howe, Coordinator