ONE tiny school in a tiny town in our region has created a movement and the nation is jumping on board.
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Trangie lies in the heart of one of the most drought-ravaged areas of NSW and a group of primary schoolers from the town are hoping to get Australia dancing up a drought-ending storm.
Year 5/6 students at St John's Parish School in Trangie came up with the idea of a simultaneous rain dance at 1pm on Friday, December 13.
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Students were hoping to get the 18 schools in their diocese involved but so far, thanks to their viral Facebook video, more than 600 schools across the nation have registered to dance.
Year 5/6 class teacher Emma Wilson said the idea came to her small group of students when they were learning about the drought during poetry classes.
From reading My Country by Dorothea Mackellar and Drought by Jackie French, the students then listened to Raindance by Sara Storer.
VIDEO: Story continues below
The song led to the students deciding to create their own rain dance.
"It just shows how 19 kids can make a difference," Ms Wilson said.
"Instead of raising money they wanted to raise spirits."
Schools across the Central West are among the 600 that have registered to take part and they include schools in: Blayney, Cowra, Dubbo, Forbes, Millthorpe, Narromine, Orange, Parkes, Wellington and Young.
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Ms Wilson said the drought has had a huge impact on everyone in Trangie, including the school of just 50 students.
She said lifting the spirits of their tiny town, and indeed all drought-affected communities, was vital.
"It's incredibly important and I think children are often forgotten in the middle of a drought," Ms Wilson said.
"Often people don't ask what they're seeing, what they're noticing and how they're feeling."
Join the #BustTheDust rain dance
Schools from across Australia are invited to help #BustTheDust in the rain dance.
- When: Friday, December 13
- Time: 1pm
- Who: Schools, teachers and their families and friends are invited to dance up a drought-ending storm
- Which song: Any song, dance moves or duration that you like
- What next: Upload your video to the Bust The Dust Rain Dance Facebook event page
VIDEO: Need #BustTheDust dance inspiration?
Central West schools taking part
- St Joseph's Catholic School, Blayney
- Blayney High School
- St Raphael's Catholic School Cowra
- Dubbo School of Distance Education
- Saint Laurence's Parish Primary School
- Holy Family School, Parkes
- Wellington Christian School
- Calare Public School
- Narromine Public School
- Millthorpe Public School
- St Mary's Primary School Young
- St Edward's Primary School Canowindra
- Clergate Public School
- St Joseph's Catholic School, Manildra
- St John's Parish Primary School, Cobar
- Dubbo North Primary School
- Elizabeth Chifley Preschool, Bathurst
- Canowindra Public School
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