{"id":240745,"date":"2019-07-31T15:56:52","date_gmt":"2019-07-31T05:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=240745"},"modified":"2020-07-18T17:02:11","modified_gmt":"2020-07-18T07:02:11","slug":"students-rock-out-for-charity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/07\/31\/students-rock-out-for-charity\/","title":{"rendered":"Students Rock Out For Charity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nate Collins, 8, Briella Needham, 9, and Emmanuela Tapp, 9, get ready to perform at this year’s
Rock On Stage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 31, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

An audience of almost 1000 packed the Maryknoll Centre at St Mary’s Catholic College in Kingaroy on Friday night to help raise funds for a good cause.<\/p>\n

They were attending the annual Rock On Stage concert, a concept that’s proven just as popular with the College’s students as it has with their parents.<\/p>\n

What is amazing about Rock On Stage is that it is all put together \u2013 from scratch \u2013 in just two weeks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every year, in third term, the school prunes a few minutes off each period in its normal five-period day to create some special \u201cRock On Stage\u201d time.<\/p>\n

Students use this extra time to decide on an act for their class, select music, arrange costumes and rehearse – all in just a fortnight.<\/p>\n

This condensed preparation leaves little room for stage fright to develop or performance exhaustion to set in.<\/p>\n

The program is purely voluntary but has become so popular with St Mary\u2019s students that participation levels are close to 100 per cent.<\/p>\n

And it culminates in a gold coin donation concert that always draws a capacity crowd.<\/p>\n

Apart from introducing students to the performing arts, Rock On Stage also raises funds for the Good Samaritan Kinder School at Bacolod in the Philippines.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This school helps children unable to access early childhood education because of poverty.<\/p>\n

The two years the children spend at the kindy prepares them for future schooling.<\/p>\n

And thanks to the generosity of donors such as St Mary’s they receive a nutritious meal each day, as well.<\/p>\n

Introducing Friday night’s show, principal Angela Myles told the audience St Mary’s has helped support the kindergarten since it was founded 15 years ago.<\/p>\n

St Mary’s has been able to send more than $24,000 to it during that time, thanks to the community’s support for Rock On Stage.<\/p>\n

Her talk was followed by performances by every grade from Prep to Year 12.<\/p>\n

This year, the acts covered themes as diverse as Star Wars to The Lion King.<\/p>\n

They were all delivered by the students with enthusiasm, and were met with equally enthusiastic applause from the audience.<\/p>\n

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