What an amazing Soirée evening we had here at school last night. It was wonderful to connect and reconnect with whānau while watching and listening to a wide variety of musical performances by our tamariki.

We were thrilled to see such a great turn out from our families and we are really looking forward to more events together as a community.

The courage it takes for children to get up in front of an audience that would easily have been about 150 people, is an indicator of confidence, determination and self-belief. Listening to the children last night, it is clear we have some amazing passions and strengths for music in the school.

As an IB PYP school, one of the key curriculum components is ‘The Arts’. This area of learning is crucial for children who have strong creative elements and a desire to express themselves in an artistic way. Whether that is through music, dance, drama and visual art, the Arts allows tamariki to shine in areas other than the traditional core subjects. For some children who struggle with core subjects, the Arts is an avenue for them to experience great success and a love for learning. We will be continuing to include opportunities to raise the profile of the Arts at Mt Pleasant School.

A special thanks to our itinerant teachers for the work they do, and especially to our wonderful Andrea Thelning who was the driving force behind getting the soirée to happen. One of the children said to me at the end “Mrs Ellery, can we do this again next week?” - maybe not next week - but certainly we are looking forward to the next one.