Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I congratulate the students, teachers, parents and staff of the Randwick Boys High School and the Randwick Girls High School, who recently performed their 25th annual arts extravaganza and Rock Eisteddfod. For the first 20 years of this period, the students from these two outstanding schools worked together on the Rock Eisteddfod, a national competition that combined dance, drama, music and stage production to tell a story and depict a concept or theme.

The Randwick Rock Eisteddfod team had astounding success performing items such as Othello, To Kill A Mockingbird and Tank Girl. In fact, they became the most successful school in the competition, winning first place in the premier division five times and second place seven times and taking out the national competition in 2002 and 2007.

After the Rock Eisteddfod was cancelled, the schools moved to the next stage in their creative arts journey with an annual extravaganza featuring a series of wonderful shows held at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. A true local event, the event provides for students, teachers and parents to be involved in an annual art extravaganza. The efforts of educators from both of these schools have ensured that students continue to receive valuable educational experience and develop leadership and cooperative skills.

I want to thank and pay tribute to all who have been involved in the performances over the last 25 years, in particular principal Heather Emerson, whose passion for public education is contagious, and the incomparable Alysia Hodges, who has been a creative director for the whole 25 years.