It is prize giving day at Kia Kaha primary school!
There will be performing!
There will be prizes!
There will be speeches.
Lots of parents and grandparents are here.
Ameliaās Mum is here.
Moanaās Mum and Dad are here.
Jason's Dad is here.
If Jason wins a prize, Jasonās Dad will clap loudly and say,
Onya Jason, that's my boy.
Jason would like to win a prize.
But he also hopes he doesnāt.
All the children are sitting at the front.
Good morning everyone,
says Ms Barry,
weāre going to start with the national anthem.
The children all sing the bit that begins
E Ihowa Atua,
O ngÄ iwi mÄtou rÄ
So do some of the Mums and Dads.
Now it has got to the bit that goes
God of nations at thy feet
The grownups are much louder now.
Maybe they didnāt know the singing had started!
Please sit, everyone,
says Ms Barry,
while the children sing their favourite song.
All the children are standing now.
The music has started!
It is the song called Individuality!
The children sing,
It's a song about me.
It's a song about my individuality.
About the clothes I wear.
About the colour of my hair
When they sing It's a song about my individuality,
the children wave their arms together from one side to the other at exactly the same time.
It is fun to watch them singing about their individuality.
Now it is time for Ms Barry to say that it has been a very good year even with the Covid and everything.
Ms Barry says,
It has been a very good year even with the Covid and everything.
She says,
It wasnāt by any means easy, was it?
She says,
But I think we have all learned valuable lessons about resilience and about ourselves.
She does not say,
Itās just a pity we couldn't have had the grownups with us as well when we learned all about how people can trick and brainwash you on Facebook eh.
But she thinks about it.
Now it is time for the Chairman of the Board of Trustees to say that these are difficult times but the board has worked very hard.
He says,
These are difficult times but the board has worked very hard to deliver a top quality education at Kia Kaha going forward and thank you Ms Barry.
The Chairman claps for Ms Barry.
But he does not clap the way Jasonās Dad would.
Ms Barry says,
Now it is time for the prizes.
She does not say,
First it is time for the 448 sports prizes.
But she thinks about it.
Now it is time for Gerry Artichoke from Artichoke Real Estate to present a prize.
Artichoke Real Estate sponsors the prize for Excellence in the Fields of Excellence And Saturday Morning Footy.
Good morning Ladies, and Gentlemen, and Karens,
says Gerry.
It is a joke Gerry has made to show that he is up to date with the latest memes.
He waits for people to laugh.
But there is no need to wait.
Gerry Artichoke says,
I congratulate all you prizewinners for backing yourselves and putting in the hard yards.
I always say you get out of life what you put in.
And then he says,
Especially if you can get mum and dad to come in with a bit of capital.
Gerry Artichoke would also like to say,
This year was a shocker but maybe the worst is behind us now that we have a top businessman getting ready to be prime minister and run the show properly.
But you never know what Woke parent will get completely the wrong idea. Before you know it, youāve burned off a perfectly good prospect.
Now it is time to say who has won the prize for Excellence in the Fields of Excellence And Saturday Morning Footy.
It is Jason!
Jason's dad claps loudly.
He says onya Jason, that's my boy.
Ms Barry says,
because this has been a very unusual year we have decided to give some special prizes.
She says,
some of the projects the children did this year were just amazing.
Ms Barry says,
Michael made a model of a bike on a beautiful harbour bridge.
For some reason all the children decided they hated it more than anything they had ever seen.
But he bravely kept on making it, long after it was clear it would get smashed to pieces at the first chance.
Michael, here is a special prize for diligence and also for being such a brave boy when they took to it the way they did with all those softball bats.
Michael comes up to receive his prize.
One of the big girls tries to trip him up.
Ms Barry leans over and says quietly,
Kerre please come and see me after this.
Ms Barry says,
Chloe did 94 different projects about the climate crisis and the housing crisis this year and they were all quite outstanding.
I honestly don't know where she finds the energy.
Gerry Artichoke looks as though he has thought of something clever to say.
But he sees Ms Barry looking at him and changes his mind.
Chloe comes up to get her prize.
She does not say boomer.
Not out loud, anyway.
There are lots of prizes for projects!
Ashley gets one for doing really well!
Jacinda gets one for doing really well!
Grant gets one for doing really well when that seemed completely out of the question!
Judith gets one for having a go at least!
At last everyone has a prize.
Ms Barry can say that brings the prize giving to a close.
That brings the prize giving to a close, says Ms Barry, except for one last thing.
Children remember how we talked a little while ago about how there was no vaccine for you and you had to rely on the grown ups to protect you?
The children all nod their heads.
Ms Barry says,
Well you all got some very good news today.
There is going to be a vaccine for you too.
Let's hope they have it ready for you very soon because outside in the rest of the world, there is some new Covid and you absolutely would not believe how fast it is spreading.
So if you can get Mum and Dad to take you in, quick as you can, to get it, that would be really good.
Jason puts up his hand.
Jason says,
Miss, Iām going to get ten!
Then Jason says,
Iām going to get a hundred!.
The grownups laugh.
Jasonās Dad says
Onya Jason, that's my boy.
