42 kids in play

Whakamarama School pupils Teagan, 7, and Torin, 5, Birkett, as reindeer, Vida Hancock, 5, as a robot, Meyah Davies, 7, as mistletoe, Riley Belcher, 11, Reef Hancock, 12, as Santa, Luke Hardyment, 8, as a ninja, and Hayley Adams, 8, as a cake. Photo: Tracy

Whakamarama School's Christmas play is on tonight, and Karla Pennell says it's unique. 'Our school now has a role of 42 students, and every student in the school, from five-year-olds that have just started to Year 7 students (12-year-olds) have a part in the play.

The name of the play is ‘What makes Christmas Merry' by Lynn Brittney. 'All of the school gets involved,” says Karla. 'It's really cool for them. One of boys says: ‘We've only got two teachers at our school and everybody had to do it, all the senior school, and we just had to work in with the teachers when we were available for practice and things like that'.”

Karla says pupils get the same opportunity to do things at a small school as a bigger school, but also get more opportunities.

'They don't have to audition for parts and there're not 500 people that all want to do the same part, so it is quite cool in that sense. There's always pros and cons to every size school. 'It's quite nice that the kids don't miss out because they're at a small school.”

Karla says it will be quite cute watching the little five and six-year-olds on stage, like her daughter who has lost both her front teeth. 'She looks so cute when she's doing her lines with this big gap in the front.”

The play is on tonight in the Whakamarama Community Hall at 6pm.

You may also like....