Elementary School Panthers Make Splash with Finding Nemo Kids

Congratulations to our Elementary School Panthers on last week’s “fintastic” performances of the ES musical, Disney’s Finding Nemo Kids. From the moment the curtain rose, our students swept the audience away on a highly engaging and fun underwater experience. It was a joyful reminder of what happens when creativity, commitment, and collaboration come together on stage. Seeing our students step out of their comfort zones and perform at such a high level, supported by an enthusiastic and encouraging audience, was truly something special.

In addition to the confidence of their acting, singing, and dancing, what stood out most was the ease with which they worked together. Each performer contributed to the storytelling that carried the audience along on this fun ocean adventure. The characters they created reflected the time and energy they had spent exploring their roles and building trust with one another.

In a cute promotional video, performers shared what the experience meant to them, with collaboration a recurring theme behind the scenes. As one student shared, “My favorite memory I had is that I made really good friends.” Those relationships were clearly visible on stage, where students listened to one another, supported one another, and performed with confidence as an ensemble.

The costume and set design played an important role in creating a (quite literally!) immersive experience for the audience. Creative details transformed the stage into a colourful underwater environment inhabited by every type of ocean dweller you can imagine, taking the audience from the “Drop-off” on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef down to Sydney Harbour, with a stop off at the fish tank where Nemo finds himself trapped. For one student, this was the highlight of the set: “My favourite part of the set is in the tank. There is an arch and it’s really cool. It’s made out of coral.” The attention to detail achieved by the set designers was a real stand out.

This production was also a true community effort. Middle School students supported lighting, QLab audio-visual cue control, multi-camera operations, and stage crew work. High School students contributed as stage managers and supported set and prop design as well as makeup. Their involvement added technical expertise and mentorship, strengthening the production as a whole.

Proceeds from Finding Nemo Kids were donated to one of ISKL’s Community Service Partners, the Children’s Future Education Centre, giving the performances an added sense of purpose.

Congratulations again to our cast, crew, and creative team on such a memorable and joyous production and for immersing us in this amazing underwater world. It truly took a whole reef!

To explore ISKL’s full range of co-curricular and arts opportunities, visit the Beyond the Classroom page.