There's A Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake - a hit!
12 May 2016
The latest offering from award-winning producer, Garry Ginivan Attractions, opened today.
"Amazing show, thank you so much" from teacher Kirstie Briggs who organised 242 Prep to Yr 2 kids from Balwyn Primary to see it. Thank YOU Kirstie. What an effort!
See another Balwyn Primary teacher, Rachel, commenting on our Shows For Schools Facebook Page
Plaudits to GGA who continue to produce high quality music theatre shows for children. It was a terrific adaptation, with a cast of very talented performers, great sets and cossies and enough interaction to keep the kids engaged. It's not an easy thing to make a show from picture books, but this one manages to be true to the originals while creating a fast moving, entertaining show with alot of heart. We even shed a tear toward the end.
It was the first excursion for the preps from Balwyn Primary, we're so glad they loved it so much. Maybe a new generation of theatre goers was created today. Thanks teachers!
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"Thrilled" says HIPPO Author
10 May 2016
Author of the series beginning There's A Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake, Hazel Edwards, went to a rehearsal run of the show last weekend. Her reaction?
"Thrilled.
To have your ideas taken into another medium, and done so well, is the ultimate compliment for an author."
Hazel has written an article expressing how it feels to see your work translated to a different form. See below
Image: Hazel Edwards on the set of There's A Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake with Keisha, who plays The Girl
Read more
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Naplan Testing Week
9 May 2016
Best wishes to all those involved
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Great Stories About Kids Seeing Shows
8 May 2016
Image: from Possum Magic, written by Mem Fox, illustrated by Julie Vivas
Possum Magic and One Little Boy
It's often hard to know what impact taking students to see a show has on them. Send us in any reactions you know about. Here's a story where the impact was very clear, from Garry Ginivan of Garry Ginivan Attractions (GGA)
Since it's first production by GGA in 1993, Possum Magic has played to over one million Australians. This is the story of just one.
"In 2008, we were touring Possum Magic again. In Gladstone, in Queensland, there were some students from a special school in the audience. One little boy in a wheelchair had shown no reaction to anything for 2 years. During the show, he started to smile, by the end of the show, he was dancing in his wheelchair. All the accompanying teachers were in tears. They couldn't believe it, they'd never seen him even smile before. That's why we know about it. They were so moved, they told the crew and theatre staff and there were lots of photos taken. Makes it all worthwhile.
Ed: Thanks Garry! Send us more stories. This year GGA are touring There's A Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake
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Education in the Budget
4 May 2016
The Liberal party have realised that cutting funding to Education, their previous approach, will not sit with the electorate. They have increased funding to $1.2 billion over 2 years between 2018 - 2020, but this is significantly less than the $4.5 billion Labour promised to implement the Gonski reforms.
There have been continued devastating cuts to higher education and some funding for performance based teaching which has never been shown to work.
It seems better than it could have been. Let's see what the Opposition reply is.
Read expert analysis here
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We're mid Autumn
3 May 2016
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May E News out this week!
2 May 2016
Subscribe here to get your copy
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Last Day of April
30 April 2016
Cold weather is looming....
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July Election: What's in it for schools?
28 April 2016
Labour has released their education policy in two documents Growing Together: Labour's Agenda for Tackling Inequality in Schools and Your Child, Our Future and Innovation through Education.
We also know they are committed to implementing the Gonski recommendations.
The Coalition has yet to release it's policy, but polling by ANU has shown voters want good education policy, so they may yet return to Gonski. Funding education well would obviously sit with their Innovation Agenda.
Let's see what happens..
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Looking for a TERM 2 show?
26 April 2016
There's been a sudden flurry of bookings of shows for this term. Don't stress. There are lots available. If your first choice doesn't work out, just let us know and we'll help you with alternatives! Think of us as your show angels. (That may be a stretch - but we wanted to use this great image from Black Swan's Angels in America!)
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ANZAC Day
25 April 2016
Lest we forget
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Paris Climate Change - Signing of new law today
22 April 2016
Leaders from 150 countries are in New York today to sign the Agreement made at the December 15 Climate Change meeting in Paris.
If enough countries sign it, then it will become international law 30 days after being signed.
For this to happen 55% of the world's countries, who together make up at least 55% of the world's emissions have to sign. These requirements are so the action will actually happen. It's not enough that small countries, most threatened by climate change - such as islands in the Pacific and Caribbean, can sign. Their emissions are negligible. Countries who cause the emissions need to be involved. Both China and the US, who make up about 40% of emissions, have jointly indicated they will sign.
Although Australia is there to sign the treaty, it might not be able to comply with it. It will depend which party is in power. The Turnbull government agreed to sign and although Turnbull himself is a supporter of an emission trading scheme, the Coalition is strongly opposed to it. Since the Abbott Govenment repealed the Carbon Trading Scheme introduced by the Gillard Government, our carbon emissions are actually rising for the first time in a decade.
Bill Shorten has said if elected, the ALP would reintroduce a carbon trading scheme.
Whoever is in Government, legislating Australia’s climate targets, setting a national cap on emissions, and pricing carbon pollution are vital if Australia’s signature on the Paris Agreement is to mean anything at all.
The world has collectively realised that rapid, transformative action is required to decarbonise the global economy by 2050, Australia needs to do it's bit.
Read further in The Conversation
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