Tadra kahani winners this year

from w
This year's Tadra Kahani finals were on last night in Suva. I was delighted to know that a newcomer school, a very small school, won the Junior section. Pacific Harbour Multicultural School. Way to go, children!
Tadra means 'dream' and kahani 'story' and this annual event gives primary and secondary Fiji children the opportunity to create an eight-minute performance that tells a story through song, dance, drama. It's a super opportunity to learn many things about stagecraft, story-telling, working together. To me (being a former art/music teacher) these sort of opportunities are certainly as important as language and maths! Or even more! Some of the best times we can have is when we use our voices, use our bodies to create a performance that can communicate a message/theme/story to an audience. Fiji youth are very good at acting, singing, dance. More photos at Fiji Times gallery.
from Fiji Village today:
Newcomers take top honours
Publish date/time: 22/08/2009 [08:47]

Two new winners were last night crowned the Junior and Senior Tadra Kahani champions after an explosive final featuring 5 primary and 8 secondary schools, which ended with two newcomers walking away with the top honours in front of a packed Vodafone Arena.

Following three powerful days of students sharing their dream story of their hopes for a better society, Pacific Harbour Multi-Cultural School was last night declared the Junior Division champions, while fellow first timers to Tadra Kahani, Lomary Secondary School beat 10 other Schools to walk away with the Senior Division trophy.

Basing their performance on the theme "Transition and Integration of Cultures in Fiji, Junior Division champions Pacific Harbour-Multi Cultural School, put on a colourful performance to show the different cultures present in Fiji's society and how it has made Fiji what it is today. Rounding off their performance with the signing of the national anthem, students believe that size does not matter and that they always believed having a school roll of just over eighty students, would not have been a hurdle against bigger Primary schools at Tadra Kahani.


Meanwhile, Senior Division champions Lomary Secondary who put on a performance based on the theme "Appreciation and the Protection of the Rights of a Child", was a crowd favourite last night, as students held nothing back, as they took the crowd on a journey of a child who gets into trouble, as he gets caught up in the negative side of life, and therefore ends up facing hardships. Student representative Papamama Pokino said as well as coming to win for their outgoing principal, they hope that their message is clear that children are creations greatest gift of all.In the Senior Division, first runners up were Suva Grammar, while Monfort Boys Town was declared the second runners up.

and from Fiji Times about a little school of about eighty students down the coast at Pacific Harbour.

First-timers take a bow
By Gereldine Panapasa
Saturday, August 22, 2009
NEWCOMER to Tadra Kahani 2009, Pacific Harbour Multicultural School, was crowned winner of the junior division after a sterling performance at the Vodafone Arena in Suva ast night. The Deuba school also scooped two special awards, including best concert award, and best costume award and cash prize of $1500.

School co-ordinator Lasaro Rabaka said this was a big achievement for the school. Their colourful creation of the theme - The Transition and Integration of Cultures in Fiji through Dance - left a positive message to a full-house audience last night.

"It's a very fulfilling, rewarding and very satisfying feeling to be named winners of this year's Tadra Kahani junior division," he said. "It was challenging for us in the beginning with the concept but the students really worked hard to improve their performance. We chose a theme that matched our school and that's what we wanted to portray, cultural diversity."

Show co-ordinator Loretta Jackson said this was yet another successful year for the Tadra Kahani and praised the confidence level of participating students at this year's show. "One thing is clear and that is the standard of performance by the students has lifted yet again," she said. 2008 junior division winner Nakelo District won the tfl best set design award and Vodafone most entertaining while International School in Suva took out the FM96 best soundtrack and tfl best choreography awards.

First-timer Dilkusha Girls Primary won the UNICEF most innovative award.