2019 May 16th schools

AROUND THE SCHOOLS

District Cross Country held at Warrina Lakes

LAST Thursday primary school students competed in a district cross country held at Warrina Lakes.

The results for District Cross County were: 10 Years Boys two kilometer: First place Leo from Good Chappel Primary School, Second Riley from EAST and Third Harry from SR. 10 Years Girls two kilometer: First Layla from SC, second Mia from Mission Beach State School and Third Kassidy from SC. 11 Years Boys three kilometer: First Matthew from SR, Second Jonathan from Goondi and Third Jaia from SC. 11 Years girls three kilometer: First Indah from SJ, Second Elise from SC and Third Ella from SJ. 12 Years Boys three kilometer: First Riley from Goondi, Second Jordan from GC and Third Gavin from GC. 12 Years Girls three kilometer: First Brook from Tully Primary School, Second Hayley from Tully Primary School and Third Elle from Tully Primary School.

13 Years Boys three kilometer: First Jessie from GC, Second Tyrell from ISC and Third Crawford from TSHS. 13 Years girls three kilometer: First Sasha from TSHS, Second Felicity from Babinda and Third Jennifer from ISC. 14 Years Boys four kilometer: First Luke from GCC, Second Jake from

Athletics Day At El Arish State School

Babinda and Third Travis from ISC. 14 Years girls four kilometer: First Gwen from ISC, Second Charlotte from Babinda and Third Tegan from TSHS. 15 Years Boys four kilometer: First Dallas from TSHS, Second Zayne from ISC and Third Shaun from Babinda.

15 Years girls four kilometer: First Melody from TSHS, Second Lashell from ISC and Third Kasey from TSHS. 16 Years Boys six kilometer: First Quintan from ISC, Second Nathaniel from GCC and Third Simean from BCC. 16 Years girls six kilometer: First Elissa from TSHS, Second Casey from TSHS and Third Kasey from TSHS. 17 Years Boys six kilometer: First Fratz from ISC and Second Chris from ISC. 17 Years girls six kilometer: First Acashia from Babinda and Second Shakira from ISC.

Tully State School Annual Athletics Carnival

LAST week Tully State School held our Annual Athletics Carnival over two days. All of the students showed great participation and sportsmanship in all events. The Winning House at the end of the two-day carnival was Mackay!!

Age Champions were: 9 yr olds - Bailee & Billy

10 yr olds - Shekinah & Ben 11 yr olds - Breasia (absent from photo) & Shakobe 12 yr olds - Nevaeh & Daniel Our best athletes from these age groups now have the opportunity to compete at the Tully District Interschool Athletics Carnival on 22 May & 24 May.

Page 18 Cassowary Coast Independent News, Thursday, May 16, 2019

A wet but wonderful athletics day was experienced by all our students on Tuesday April 30. Our school’s utilities are excellent. The facilities ensure the students participate in all such events throughout the year.

On this occasion we were able to conduct team games during the downpours under the cover of the tennis court while sprints and field events took place during the breaks from the wet weather. There were many children proudly wearing their ribbons of place achievements around the school. A big thank

you goes out to all the people who helped make this event the success that it was. Thank you to the P&C with providing lunches, Katrina Wilson who made house banners, staff who worked tirelessly to ensure the events were safe and records are accurate. Also, a big thank you to the parents who attended. This made the event particularly exciting for the children as they performed in front of their loved ones.

With our final events wrapping up we were able to present the winning house shield to Massey with a

very tight win over Toft this year.

Medallions were also presented to our age champions.

Well done to all the students, you were truly wonderful on the day!

2019 Athletics Day Age Champions Mini Minor Girls- Harper Mini Minor Boys– Cohen Minor Girls- Sacha Minor Boys– Declan Junior Girls– Libbi Junior Boys- Bradley Senior Girls- Grace Senior Boys- Marcus

AROUND THE SCHOOLS

Ghoulish and Scary Fun Rule the Addams Family

a New Musical by Innisfail State College

Head choreographer Jenny Dimitrov with the cast of more than 50 talented students Innisfail State College, including backstage crew and music ensemble who have been busily learning their lines, perfecting their scenes and rehearsing hard during their lunch hours, after school and on weekends in preparation for their production of The Addams Family - a new musical at the College auditorium on May 24 and 25.

MARIA GIRGENTI SINCE January, 55 Innisfail State College Year 7 - 12 students and staff have been busily treading the boards and working hard behind the scenes rehearsing weekly for their upcoming The Addams Family with three shows being held over two days on May 24 and 25.

The Addams Family, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, which brings America’s darkest family to life, is about love, family, honesty and growing up.

Wednesday Addams has grown up and fallen in love with a young man from a respectable family, a man her parents have never met.

Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother.

Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before and that is keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia.

Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s ‘normal’ boyfriend and his parents.

The musical is being directed by Jenny Erceg, with Chantelle Boase as stage manager and features a music ensemble of 10 under the musical leadership of Guy Knopke, and assisted by Anita Berry and Alex Langton.

Head choreographer and mentor, Jenny Dimitrov said in their eleventh week of rehearsals, she was confident with the progress of the musical and felt it was coming along well.

“We have had ups and downs, like any good show experiences, but the students have impressed me constantly

with their love and passion for the Arts.

I am also forever grateful for the staff who have given up days, afternoons, nights and weekends to share in this passion and see our students shine under the stage lights.”

“Since the auditions and rehearsals, there have been a few students who have shown real natural talent, who are right at home on stage, passionate about performing and who hope to pursue a career in the arts. Students have been working tirelessly, perfecting all aspects of acting as well as how to deal with their own emotions and those around them.”

On the weekend, musical teachers and students held a car wash at John Cole Toyota Innisfail where $266 was raised, which will be used to buy costumes, props and sets.

The College wished to express their gratitude to the students, staff, parents, teachers and P & C Association for their hard work and support.

With the College’s ‘FAME’ musical in 2017 a sell-out, this year’s production is also shaping up to be popular, and tickets are set to be snapped up fast.

There are three shows only, and tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for students/concession and can be booked in person at Innisfail State College office or www.trybooking.com/498343 Opening night for The Addams Family is 7:00pm on Friday, May 24 at the Innisfail State College Auditorium, 45 Flying Fish Point Road with a matinee show at 1:00pm and the finale performance at 7:00pm on Saturday, May 25.

Good counsel college host music workshops with country music stars James and Briar Blundell and Becci Nether STORY + IMAGES MARIA GIRGENTI

GOOD Counsel College recently had the opportunity to host music workshops with country music stars James and Briar Blundell and Becci Nethery which students described as brilliant.

Students who had a passion for music were genuinely excited and actively contributed to the writing and performing of a song before the end of the two hour workshop.

Guest entertainer James Blundell whose career has spanned over 30 years first rose to prominence in 1992 with the smash hit single ‘Way Out West’ with former Australian Crawl front man James Reyne.

He was also the first young Australian act to sign a major record label deal in Nashville which has since paved the way for other Australian country music stars such as Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers and Keith Urban.

Blundell, a one time ARIA award winner and five time nominee has also written hits for Slim Dusty, Lee Kernaghan and Jimmy Little and is the recipient of numerous CMAA awards, double platinum, platinum and gold sales awards.

Late in March 2012, Blundell was named as the inaugural inductee into the Country Music Channel (CMC) Hall of Fame.

Blundell was accompanied by his son Briar, a talented guitarist who worked closely with the students and was also a hit at the workshop.

Rising country music star Becci Nethery, who lives in Sydney was born in Chillagoe and was a former student at St

Monica’s College in Cairns, before she went on to complete her Bachelor of Music degree and graduate from Academy of Country Music in Tamworth in 2012.

Nethery has performed at country music festivals and awards presentations all over Australia and been the opening act for Australian country music stars such as Amber Lawrence and James Blundell.

Her song ‘Feels Like Home’ which Nethery co-wrote with David Carter about her hometown of Chillagoe was recently named in the top 10 Singer/Songwriter Song of the Year category of the Songs Alive Australia competition. She was also recently announced as a nominee in this year’s ICMA awards.

She has a string of accolades to her name with the most recent being National Song of the Year at Tasmanian Independent Country Music Awards in 2018 for ‘Can’t Just Kiss You’. Last year she was also the recipient of Tamworth Songwriters Association Open/Contemporary section winner for ‘Just Not Today.’

A number of students along with many locals competed in Innisfail’s Got Talent at the Canecutter Court as part of Feast of the Senses and all competitors celebrated the region’s local talent with James, Briar, and Becci who were judges.

All three artists then put on a special live on-stage performance as part of new Feast Street event held outdoors and undercover at Canecutter Court.

Good Counsel College especially wished to thank Kirsty Densmore and the Feast of the Senses organisers for facilitating this awesome experience.

Good Counsel College students who participated in a music workshop with country music artists James Blundell and his son Briar.

Rising country music star Becci Nethery performed one of her songs during the workshop.

Cassowary Coast Independent News, Thursday, May 16, 2019 Page 19