Win, win for high school
An off-duty teacher danced in her kitchen on hearing of Hawera High School’s national drama success.
This week, four months after celebrating their win at the regional event, Hawera High School teachers Catherine Saysell and Alison Wright found out their school’s 2016 Stage Challenge entry ‘‘No More Borders’’ had been placed third in a nationwide competition.
‘‘We have never even won the regionals before and I am not sure if a Taranaki school has ever made the nationals,’’ Wright said. ‘‘This is a bit of an event for us, the kids are super excited, they’re already talking about the next one.’’
She heard the news via a text from her son who spotted the announcement online.
‘‘I was in the car with my kids and I was shrieking. I rang Catherine Saysell, the other teacher involved, and she said: ‘I’m dancing while I cook the tea.’
‘‘It was a nice validation of the students’ and our ideas,’’ she said.
No More Borders highlighted the plight of Aylan, a three-yearold Syrian refugee, as well as others escaping from war-torn Syria. The performance was inspired by haunting images that circulated the world of a toddler’s lifeless body lying on a Turkish beach.
Wright hopes the school’s success will help revitalise Taranaki’s biennial regional stage challenge event.