For the second year in a row Dungog High School took over 250 students to the James Theatre on Thursday, June 19 as part of the school’s rewards program.
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But, unknown to teachers at the school, there was almost no movie to show.
Friends of the James chairperson Lisa Connors said the science fiction action movie Ender’s Game ordered for the senior students arrived on time, but the Lego Movie for the younger students did not arrive.
“When queries were made with the Sydney distributor, it transpired that they had forgotten to send it,” Ms Connors said.
“With only 36 hours to go, the Friends of the James Theatre made a five-hour round trip to collect the movie on Wednesday, returning late to Dungog, then ingesting the movie and finally by 8pm Wednesday night the Lego movie was ready to roll for 10am the next day.”
Students were delivered by bus to the theatre where they indulged in the delights of the kiosk, including popcorn and hand-made lolly bags, and proved that their “reward” was well earned by displaying courteous behaviour and cleaning up the theatre after the movies ended.
“Organising teacher Fiona McLarty explained that the rewards program had had a very positive impact on behaviour at the high school, where teachers had found that a positive reward system had decreased undesirable behaviour,” Ms Connors said.
“The high school expressed appreciation for the fact that an outing could be organised in Dungog for the school, whilst also supporting the rejuvenation and ongoing use of the James Theatre.
“The Friends of the James Theatre were delighted to be able to work with the high school and to see a large group of young people filling the theatre.”