Riki Teteina: Somersfield's Exceptional Talent Showcased at Spring into the Arts Festival
I had the pleasure of attending the Spring into the Arts Festival last night, and it was clear (completely unbiased) that Somersfield shone above everyone last night:
Our Annie cast performing ‘It’s the Hard Knock Life’ was slick, professional and polished. They oozed confidence and looked like they were having fun! Gerlie, Julie and Tiffany, you should be proud of the inspiration and passion you’ve instilled in each of these students!
Riley Jones blew us away with her heartfelt solo and showed huge progress from when we first saw her being courageous by singing at our school talent show in December. It’s great to see her shine and be genuinely proud of her accomplishments – thank you to all the staff who have showed Riley that you believe in her!
We finished off with the M2 Band, with every single one of them performing as a harmonious and concerted team! To see them come together and work together was incredible. We all know the journey of the band, from the PTA funding the instruments to the seeds planted in the 2nd half of 2022-2023. To see where they’ve come in the space of a year is mind boggling! Kim Hogg, you were amazing keeping the beat on the drums and demonstrating the supportive relationship between staff and students. Tiffany, thank you for inspiring in these kids a passion for music. You’ve built that passion by a series of opportunities for them to perform with adults and to perform to a range of audiences. Talking to the kids individually before and after the show, it was clear they were all proud of how far they have come, and they have all found a new interest that will only continue to grow and develop. Please pile on the accolades to our M2s – they deserve it!
There are many other staff in the background who have supported the Arts development at Somersfield, as the passion is developed from Children’s House. What was made abundantly clear to the wider community last night is that performing arts is thriving at Somersfield!
Finally, we wish Girlie and Tiffany all the best as they begin the auditions for MATILDA on May 22, to be performed in 2024-2025. This will be a Middle School based production, so spread the word to all our middle school students!
Riki Teteina
Head of School, Somersfield