On May 26-27, students from YK Pao School's Primary Division presented their school production, 'A Tale of the Rainforest' at the Little Friends Theatre!
'A Tale of the Rainforest' was directed by Pao School's English Coordinator Ms Kate Burden-Chen, who also wrote the screenplay. Set to some original music by Music Teacher Mr Dominic Mallon, the show was a singing and dancing extravaganza that included a tremendous cast line-up of city people, loggers, monkeys, butterflies, ants and more, supported by an 11-member Samba Band.
A departure from previous Pao School productions, there were no auditions held. According to Assessment Coordinator and 'Rainforest' producer Ms Victoria Adamovich, this was essential to the success of the production: 'It was important for us to be as inclusive as possible. Anyone who wanted to be in the show could get involved, especially for students who were unsuccessful in auditions for previous productions and truly wanted a chance to contribute to a Pao School production.'
The response was nothing short of enthusiastic – 'Rainforest' proved to a massive undertaking that saw participation from over 200 students across years 1-5 and participation from numerous teachers and parents. The absence of an auditioning process also necessitated a rewrite of the original story to accommodate all participating students. Rehearsals, which involved choreography, teaching and learning the songs, took place every week for nearly four months.
'Rainforest' was a culmination of an entire year of environmental education activities. Pao School teachers worked together to incorporate and integrate these themes into the curriculum in order to instil the importance of protecting the environment. In May, Ocean Environmentalist and Founder of the Ocean Recovery Alliance in Hong Kong Doug Woodring spoke with students on the harmful effects of plastic pollution how to take responsibility for the health of the world's oceans. Other recent events included the return of the PTA-organised Eco Fair in which students sold second-hand items and increased their awareness of environmental protection by giving informative rainforest tours and organic farm demonstrations as well as selling their plant crafts, handmade bags and cushions using recycled materials. In the classroom, some students designed reusable, recyclable bags, while others wrote reports on animals featured in the production. Exploration Unit students studied habitats as well as other global issues.
Ms Burden-Chen further remarked that the preparation process for the production was also an excellent opportunity for students to apply the character traits and core values taught in the curriculum: 'Students showed resilience throughout the entire rehearsal process – they worked together and helped each other, made sure they did not affect the scheduling by being punctual and took responsibility for their own costumes and parts. This was also a chance to see students in a way you don't usually see them and allow them to showcase their remarkable skills and talents. The educational messages we've included throughout the semester, about caring for each other and the world we live in, are truly shining through, and it's clear that students have learned a lot of fun facts!'
Performing arts is an integral part of Pao School's curriculum. 'Rainforest' was more than just a play – it was a whole-school effort, and its massive scale and all-inclusive nature has set a new precedence for future Pao School productions.
