This term has been a busy one for us at Louisa’s Walk – our Primary School performance has become really popular with schools. We recently took a school whose pupils were described as having “learning difficulties”. They were of secondary school age but we gave them the Primary School performance as, in consultation with their teacher, this was the level she felt they were capable of accessing.
Afterwards, one of the most telling comments from one of their students was “This is how I learn!”. Well, we as you know if you read this blog, are passionate about this way of teaching/experiencing history but to hear this from a 14 year old was magic!
Last week we took St John’s Primary School from Richmond, on the Primary School version of Louisa’s Walk. Their teacher, Chantel Mitchell, had previously come on the full version many months before and ever since, had determined to bring her class. Chantel had invited some of the parents from the school to attend also and we were delighted to have 12 parents on the show too.
The buses arrived in good time and everyone looked so good! They had nearly all made the effort to dress up and it makes such a difference when everyone is in costume. Chris and I did our customary scout around to make sure the route was clear of obstacles and distractions only to find that, at the place where we start (at the trash trap) Hobart City Council was busy clearing it out. There were tip trucks, front end loaders, diggers and just about everything that could possibly distract boys in the 6 to 14 year old bracket (and probably a lot of girls too). We did a quick re-think about where to start and took the beginning down a bit from the distractions.
We had a fantastic Louisa’s Walk, Primary Performance, the children were the most attentive we have ever experienced. A later email from Chantel said that she was so proud of her students but, she said, it was because we had them eating out of our hands. Well, thank you Chantel but I think a lot was down to you and your fantastic students.
A word about the trash trap – it’s the structure part way down the Hobart Rivulet which catches the “trash”; the boulders, the branches and sundry other rubbish that comes down off the mountain in the floods. Before the construction of this edifice, the Cascades Female Factory and, further on down into Hobart Town, used to flood on a regular basis. The trash trap catches anything that may contribute to building a dam wall. Once-a-year the Council diverts the sluice gates so the stream dries up and they send in the diggers and the tip trucks! The whole structure is cleaned out and ready for another year of saving the citizens of Hobart Town from flood!
