This weekend I joined approximately half my Western heights teaching staff to watch our two Jump Jam teams compete at the North Island National Champs. That sounds unusual but they compare the scores of the North Island Champs with the scores of the South Island Champs and so can declare the National Champions as well. It has been a tough year with Covid19 and we were also up against teams with full time professional coaches in some cases. Add to that one of our two coaches - Rebekah King - came down with the dreadful vomiting bug in Tauranga at the team house. Thankfully thanks to her efforts and careful team management, no one else came down sick. Both teams submitted demo tapes that put them in the top echelon in New Zealand - the Advanced Open section. Our Junior Year Three/Four Team performed first and were outstanding. I am adamant their performance was flawless - totally in sync, the best outfits, 100% energy for the whole performance, and as is always the case with our two coaches, they told a story with their performance. They were brilliant and everyone I spoke to believed they deserved to win. As it was they came second in New Zealand - an absolutely awesome achievement. Our year five/six team was also outstanding. Their performance was exceptional. Again, they told a story, and again, their energy, expressions, and animation was of the highest standard. A few of our girls doubled up, performing in both teams - special credit must go to Kayla who was the lead character in both dances. The compēre described her as a “pocket rocket”, and that was an apt description. I honestly could not have been prouder - of the parent support, of the outstanding support from our staff, and of the results of the hard work and creative thinking of coaches Jenna Aalbers and Rebekah King. To see both teams complete a flawless performance in what Judge and Organiser - Mr Jump Jam himself, Brett Fairweather - described as the toughest, highest-standard section in the history of the competition, made every one of us incredibly proud. Both teams worked so hard for this and so it was wonderful to see that them give their all in their performances. | 
