Gift of the gab helps Jane at eisteddfod
WHEN Toowoomba teacher Jane Kennedy was asked to be one of the compères in the 72nd City of Toowoomba Eisteddfod, she knew it was her time to shine.
Mrs Kennedy, whose day job is teaching Year 2 and Year 3 students at Glenvale State School, said she loved music and anything associated with it.
“My girls sang (at school) so I was very involved with that at Glennie,” she said.
“But when Gabby asked me if I wanted to put a microphone in my hand and compere during the eisteddfod, I knew it was my time to shine.
“It’s been really fun. Some people have told me that I’ve got the ‘gift of the gab’ and I like making a fool of myself.”
So for the last week-and -a-half, Mrs Kennedy has been having a ball at the Empire Theatre.
During the first week of the competition, she compered the instrumental sections and during the weekend, compered the dance sections.
And while they were both very different sections, Mrs Kennedy said she had a fantastic time doing them both.
“I’m having a lovely time,” she said.
“It’s a lovely environment for them (the children) to play and perform in but it’s also pretty intense.”
She said she especially loved watching the instrumental sections.
“Some of the little guys are very anxious, some are born performers but some others aren’t.
“But they all get in and give it a go, which is fantastic.”
She said she loved her role as a teacher at Glenvale State School.
“Kids just have so much to offer, whether it’s music or dance or event football.”
When she’s not teaching the youngsters at school or involved in the eisteddfod, Mrs Kennedy said her time was spent catching up with her husband (who is the franchisee of the ENZED store in Taylor St) and her three children, who were now all grown up and aged between 19 and 23.
“We’ve only been in Toowoomba for eight years,” she said.
“Before that we lived out near St George.”