July 30, 2021
Saint Mary’s Catholic College in Kingaroy celebrated Catholic Education Week with their annual “Rock On Stage” event in the Mary Knoll Centre last Friday night.
John Dalton, the Assistant to the Principal, prepared this report and took the photographs:
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It was a full house for this year’s St Mary’s Rock on Stage.
After COVID forced a reduction in permitted attendance in 2020, strict ticketing and booking arrangements allowed for all parents and carers, students, and siblings to attend the entire performance this year.
And what a night it was!
The night began with a reminder that the event was as always, a fundraiser for the Bacolod Kindergarten in the Philippines.
Money raised will be sent via the Good Samaritan Sisters.
Rock On Stage is also a way to celebrate Catholic Education Week.
Principal Carmel O’Brien said that a night of colour, lights, dancing, and youthful selection of music was a very appropriate way to highlight the life giving and community building aspects of Catholic Education.
She said that people who founded Catholic Education in Kingaroy would have been very pleased to know that not only has the College continued in the excellent educational tradition of the founders, but also that it has developed and changed to celebrate in the best way possible after 85 years on the hill in Kingaroy.
“Not many schools have crowd of 800 to watch all students, staff and parents put on a high-quality piece of entertainment while all the while mindful of a different and less economically fortunate community half a world away,” Ms O’Brien said.
“Thanks once again to our judges for the night: Cr Danita Potter, from South Burnett Regional Council; Rylee Stella, from St Joseph’s in Murgon; Kurt Lutz, as the voice of reason; and Kedron Pointon, as performance and integrity coach for the judges.”
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Prep to Year 2
This section was won by Year 1 who would have made Elvis Presley proud as they became “Nothing But Hound Dogs”, and moved out of the “Jailhouse” and into 2021. They were a well-practiced and joyful class act. They had plenty of competition in the form of the Prep class who had a “Night On The Knoll” with just about every great rockstar ever to play, and also from Year 2 who “Rocked Around the Clock” and “Be-Bopped-A-Lula” until they “Twisted Again”.
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Year 3 to Year 6
This was always going to be a tightly contested section, due in part to the aspirations of some of the teachers. Year 3 excelled in the Madagascar costumes, Year 4 invoked the spirit of British rock to show us what happens after dark at the college and the feet of Year 5 hardly hit the floor as they “Hustled The Muscle” in a very physical class act. But the precision, grubby faces and energy of the Year 6 act caught the judges’ eyes for first place as they showed us how fun-loving chimney sweeps can trip the light fantastic in a way that only the birds see it.
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Year 7 to Year 9
The Year 7 class found love right where they are in a clever take on the classic Romeo and Juliet love story while Year 8 tried to appeal to the patriotic streak in the judges when they condensed the development of Aussie Rock from First Nations’ moves, AC/DC, Cold Chisel, and finished up with the National Anthem sung to the tune of “Working Class Man”. However, Year 9s won the judges over when they took up the challenge of “you give us five minutes and we’ll give you 40 years of Netflix”. They took up the whole of stage to summarise their favourites (yes, including “Friends”) and highlighted their presentation with some very clever and atmospheric dancing.
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Years 10 to Year 12
There is always pressure on Year 12 to win Rock On Stage in their final year. With the two other classes going all out to spoil the party, it was always going to be a very competitive section. Year 10s launched first with a full-blown version of the Kellerman Resort story (complete with the “Dirty Dancing”-famous Patrick Swayze lift of the lady) and also managed to slip in an excuse for the boys to throw each other upside down and into the air. The Year 11 class resorted to the appeal of the sunny surfing beaches, which was a clever move on such a cold night in Kingaroy. Their colourful cruising was well choreographed. But once again, the Year 12s moved up a gear with their take on The Great Gatsby. Decked out in 1920s glitz and glare, they roared like they did in the 20s but they made it seem like it was really today. Complemented by some skilful dancing, acting, and other undefinable actions, their will to entertain and enjoy themselves won the judges over.
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Parents and Staff
Both parents and staff were heavily committed to running the night and took the option of pre-recorded acts this year. The staff themed up on being aged, arthritic and a bit hard of hearing as they moved slowly but rhythmically about the stage. Rumour has it some were not even acting. However the parents won the contest as they resorted to the privacy and freedom of their homes to rework the history of music in a TikTok extravaganza.
