I was thrilled to be able to take my family to 'Schools Spectacular 2014' last week, as a guest of Teachers Mutual Bank.
For the last 31 years, public schools in my state of Australia (New South Wales) have collaborated to produce a showcase of student singing, dancing and music. 'Spectacular' is not a word great enough to describe this annual event. 3500 students coordinated beautifully to entertain the audience.
I have to be honest, I did not know how our 2 year old was going to take the day. We set off early in the morning and caught a train to Sydney. His first big 'train ride'.
From the moment the lights dimmed and the show started, we were all captivated. Sam danced in his seat and eagerly applauded all the performers. My daughter, was of course excited to see some performers from The Voice and The Voice Kids. As usual, I noticed all the small things, like the teachers lining up and coordinating students outside, the teachers and helpers waiting by the stage doors to hold props and coordinate transitions.
As a teacher, in the audience it is impossible not to think of, and be impressed by the logistics of the day. Thousands of contributions, together creating a day like this. Possibly millions. Every essential piece of human input was carefully woven together to create a world class event. Students from every corner of the state, in such a variety of classrooms were able to join together in unity for the show. Beyond the amazing talent of the performers on the day, it really is amazing to witness how something so grand can be produced.
The talent showcased was amazing. I am sure we will be listening to some of the singers on the radio in a few years. We especially liked that there was a good balance of performers - enough to interest everyone. It really is refreshing to watch a show and be able to 'feel' the energy and commitment from every single performer. The energy in the room was so uplifting and positive.
We had a few hours on the train to talk about the show. My husband and I agreed that we are so lucky to live in a country that values public education so greatly. The teachers who nurture creativity in their classrooms and support their students in programs and events like these, go beyond their job requirements day after day. They give their very best to inspire and engage their students in experiences they will remember for a lifetime. While flicking through the program, Brett found the name of his sixth class teacher, Mr John Deacon. He received an award for twenty five years service to the Spectacular. Brett was able to vividly describe many, many stories about Mr Deacon and the creative and inspirational time he had in his class. It was year of creative awakening for many of the students. There is no doubt that the effort teachers make to nurture and inspire creativity in students can enrich and change lives and create memories that last a lifetime.
To pass more time on the ride home, I also sketched. I turned some of my doodles into clipart and made this 'Scrappy Singing Kids' set. I would love to share them with you today - you can use them in your personal, classroom and commercial-teaching projects. You can download them from Google Drive by clicking on the image below. If you are not familiar with my Terms of Use, head over to my Graphics Blog to familiarise yourself with them.
Thank you so much Teacher's Mutual Bank for not only passionately supporting teachers and public schools but for helping my family to have a day we will remember for a long time to come!
Thanks for stopping by today, friends!