From the first steps of the opening Acknowledgement of Country dance to the ‘Firework’ of a finale, everything was all right on the night at ‘An Evening with ACOS’ last Thursday 10 August.

The performance evening at Armidale Secondary College was the culmination of countless hours of rehearsals and hard work by students and staff across the nine public schools that make up the Armidale Community of Schools (ACOS).

Setting the standard for cute costumes were the Year 2 and 3 ‘grannies’ from Uralla Central School, with their musical adaptation of the book ‘Our Granny’ by Margaret Wild.

Deputy Principal Charmaine Endacott said the students had been preparing for the event for months and had been “counting down the sleeps”.

“Two narrators told the story of how different grannies behave, as their classmates took to the stage dressed as ‘big butt’ grannies, fitness grannies, single lady grannies and more,” she said.

Among the music, dance and drama, Stage 3 students from Ben Venue Public School performed an atmospheric recitation of Lewis Carroll’s classic nonsense poem ‘Jabberwocky’.

The students’ dedication made a big impression on Deputy Principal Lana Howlett, who said they even gave up their lunchtimes to perfect their piece.

“There is always a huge amount of time and effort, from both teachers and students, that goes into planning for, rehearsing and perfecting these performances,” Mrs Howlett said.

“The effort is worth it as it has been such an unforgettable experience for the students.”

Usually held every two years, this week’s showcase was the first since 2019 due to the pandemic.

Rocky River Public School principal Brad Hunt, a member of the organising committee, said the high quality of the event was a team effort that highlighted the collaborative spirt among staff in the region.

“Teachers and principals from our schools have worked tirelessly to plan and develop this wonderful opportunity for our students to excel in the creative arts,” Mr Hunt said.

“It has been wonderful to see the outcome.”