Junior and Middle School girls take the stage at the Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival and Kids for Kids Concert and are celebrated at our special Middle School Arts Awards Assembly.

Speech & Drama success
We congratulate Year 13 girls Hannah Ferguson and Georgia Levey who have both gained their level 4 ATCL diploma in Performance Drama. This is a huge achievement while still at school and Georgia gained her qualification with Distinction. Well done to both girls and to their teacher Trish Minns.

Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival
Congratulations to our Year 5-7 girls who sang at the Town Hall last week as part of this annual schools’ music concert. The festival, in its 80th year, caters for over 4000 Primary and Intermediate singers and musicians from more than 100 schools throughout Canterbury and Westland who learn the repertoire at school, coming together for three evenings of music. Special shout out to Imogen Masters, Connie Newton and Cesca Harris who represented SMC in the Special choirs and big thanks to Sarah Hickford and Rachel Wilford who lead our Year 5-7 choir. Rachel was also one of the massed choir conductors, and we congratulate her as the new Festival Director for 2020!

Kids for Kids Concert
100% Kiwi-loved songs, fronted by iconic Kiwi entertainer Jackie Clarke and musician Nathan King once again at this year’s Kids for Kids, took place last week in Christchurch. This festival is all about celebrating Aotearoa’s ‘Big Aroha’, seeing young people come together to celebrate some of the best of Kiwi music and participate in a mass choir performance. Across 18 shows around the nation, nearly 10,000 young New Zealanders take to the stage and use their voice for good. The Kids for Kids concert series is celebrating its 25th year and through the power of music and community has brought more than 290,000 children together in 2019. St Margaret’s Year 3 and 4 students performed beautifully at the Horncastle Arena to a large and appreciative audience. We thank Choir Director Rachel Wilford and Performing Arts teachers Stacy Goldsworthy and Sam Bates for all their hard work preparing the girls.

Middle School Arts Awards Assembly
Tuesday Period 7 we gathered in the Charles Luney Auditorium to celebrate our Middle School artists. Certificates, badges and Colours were presented to Year 7-10 girls for their skill, achievement and service in the Arts, with entertainment provided by the Middle School Dance Company who performed a Hip Hop choreography created by Year 11’s Soph Kingi, with support from Miss Goldsworthy, our Year 7 band (thanks to their tutor Steve Fowler), Year 10 a cappella singers with support from Ms Woods and a funny sketch from Year 8 girls. Thanks to Ms Molineaux for the superb display of Middle School art in the atrium and thanks also to Head of Middle School Kathryn Gray who closed proceedings with some appropriately wise words. We would also like to thank all our Middle School Arts teachers who create so many opportunities for our girls to excel. Congratulations to the following girls who obtained Colours in Middle School Arts: Katy Buttle, Emma Cawood, Mia Cleugh, Danielle Coles, Bianca Koldea-Yamamoto, Sophie McGhie, Tessa Sitjes, Chloe Taylor and Hannah Wylie.

Thank you volunteers
Last week we gathered together to thank the many people who have helped us throughout the year in the arts, giving so generously and joyously. From washing costumes to womaning the bar, we really appreciate your help and support in ensuring the smooth running of our events.

Junior School Cultural Celebration
The Junior School will present its Junior Cultural Celebration next week: Thursday, November 21. This celebration of folk dance and music from around the world will be a fun event for all the family to attend, so please invite friends, neighbours and family to join us.
Show 5pm-6pm. Picnic dinner 6-6:30pm
School field if fine. Auditorium if wet.
Please note: All Junior School students are involved in this event.
The Junior Performing Arts and Music teachers
Samantha Bates
Stacy Goldsworthy
Rachel Wilford

Thank you 2019 Arts Council
Huge thanks to our fantastic student Arts Council of 2019 who have done such a stellar job of promoting and supporting arts events this year. From new initiatives like mentoring younger girls in their arts pursuits and Music in the Quad to their excellent organisation of the Cushion Cabarets, they have shone as a super-charged team, bringing us a magnificent Eggsfactor, Arts Week and Arts Soiree to boot. Thank you to our Year 13 Heads and Deputies Annālida Jaeger, Brianna Odering, Cara Donaldson, Sam Capon, Billie Leiataua, Olivia Willems, Sujean In, Meg Shatford, Lydia Munro, Sarah Cosgrove, Holly Macdonald, Hannah Ferguson Y12, Hannah Ferguson Y13, Henrietta Bullen and Rosa Dunlop. Thanks also to Year 12 members Sophie Benson, Sophie Berrill, Hattie Compton-Moen, Zelle Logan, Rosie Milne, Jasmine Ward and Mia Wright. The biggest thanks of all must go to Natalie Hutton and Kaitlin Burden who have excelled as 2019’s Heads of Arts. Girls, your maturity, skills and talent have raised our Arts bar to new heights! We wish all our Year 13s the best of luck for their future and look forward to what 2020 may bring.

SMC old girl in running for Broadway show
Some of you may remember Emily Britt, an extremely talented triple-threat performer who had a main role in our 2013 production “Dreamgirls” when she was in Year 10. Emily has been based in New York for some time and is now on the shortlist with nine other hopefuls for the role of Roxie in Broadway’s Chicago. We call on our St Margaret’s community to support Emily in her plight, as the judging panel has sent out a public vote to garner interest. In the first link, you will see Emily auditioning and the second link takes you to the vote. Check our photos from Dreamgirls below, Emily on the far left.

https://www.facebook.com/12449188884/posts/10157914369458885?sfns=mo
https://chicagothemusical.com/roxiecasting/#scrolldn

Arts Soiree: St Margaret’s The Musical
Photos are available on photo site on Insite: https://stmargarets.smugmug.com/