Pupils jump into J Rock competition

Otongo Road School students are excited to display all their hard work and dedication when they perform at the J Rock competition next week.

Next Thursday and Friday night the city's regional 2016 JRock and Stage Challenge competitions take place at Rotorua's Civic Theatre.

The competitions involve students working together to portray social messages, political messages, and significant community concepts through their performances.

Last year's regional competition saw Westbrook Primary School win 'The Spirit of J Rock' Award.

This year, students from Kaitao Middle School, John Paul College, Makaraka School, Otonga Road School, St Mary's School, Taupo Intermediate and Western Heights Primary School will be showcasing their performances at J Rock.

Otonga Road School Year 6 student Samantha Conrad, 10, said it was her first time doing J Rock and she was excited.

"I feel it's going to be really good, but there will be competition."

There had been a lot of preparing and cleaning up of dances leading up to the performance, Samantha said.

She said one of the best parts so far had been getting to dance with all her friends.

"We are all like a big family."

Samantha said their school's performance was about bullying.

The teacher in charge thought it would be a good theme to portray because Otonga Road School was a bully-free school, Samantha said.

The school's co-ordinator, Kirsten Laurence, said the process had been long but the students had all been committed.

"They've been practising this term, pretty much every day."