Categories: News

Magician and his parrots promote anti-bullying message

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1731" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2015&sol;09&sol;SND19-wk1-Elgregoe&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND19-wk1-Elgregoe" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"231" &sol;>One of New Zealand&&num;8217&semi;s most celebrated magicians is on the road again&comma; using his special blend of magic and humour to serve up invaluable social messages to Kiwi kids&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>And he has Zazu&comma; Ecce and Ruby – exotic&comma; talking parrots – along for the ride&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Elgregoe and his parrots are presenting &&num;8216&semi;You&&num;8217&semi;ve Got the Power&&num;8217&semi; – a show specifically designed to support the 2015 primary and intermediate school curriculums&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Through the charisma of magic Elgregoe&comma; also known as Greg Britt&comma; has delivered shows focused on anti-bullying education for almost 20 years&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He and his show assistant&comma; wife Sue&comma; use tricks&comma; puppets&comma; ventriloquism&comma; music and props to enliven his anti-bullying messages&period; The show draws attention to what bullying can look like&comma; and teaches kids about how to treat others&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The 2015 &&num;8216&semi;You&&num;8217&semi;ve Got The Power&&num;8217&semi; show&comma; supported by Trustpower&comma; looks at how we can all be part of a solution to bullying&comma; and is themed around &&num;8216&semi;what you can be&&num;8217&semi;&period; Throughout the show&comma; Elgregoe reinforces key values&colon; respect&comma; resilience&comma; caring&comma; honesty and the importance of contributing&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Special guest Stinger the Bee and one lucky audience volunteer also help students realise they each have power to make a difference&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Fifteen years ago&comma; a school principal said&colon; &&num;8220&semi;If you are a real magician&comma; let&&num;8217&semi;s see if you can make bullying disappear&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This challenge led Elgregoe down a path to addressing the issues associated with bullying&comma; by combining education with his love for magic&period; After seeing the magician educating in action&comma; Trustpower pledged support in 2005&period; With the company&&num;8217&semi;s support&comma; Elgregoe has built a nationwide school presentation&comma; reaching thousands of New Zealand children annually&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Trustpower Community Relations Co-ordinator Suzi Luff says Elgregoe has a unique ability to deliver an important message in an upbeat way&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Trustpower has always been impressed with Elgregoe&&num;8217&semi;s passion and ability to engage with children&period; We are especially proud to support this anti-bullying programme as it really connects with students and empowers them to make the right choices&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Feedback from schools is that his message is getting through and making a real difference&comma;&&num;8221&semi; says Mrs Luff&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Elgregoe says this year he wants to see students having fun while they look at the serious issues around bullying&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;I am one lucky guy&period; I love performing my tricks&comma; doing ventriloquism&comma; working with live parrots and travelling&semi; and I get to do all this for a job while also delivering a valuable message for all students&comma;&&num;8221&semi; says Elgregoe&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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Rosie Clarke

Rosie is the managing editor here at Multimedia Pty Ltd, working across School News New Zealand and School News Australia. She has spent 10+ years in B2B journalism, and has spent some time over the last couple of years teaching as a sessional academic. Feel free to contact her at any time with editorial or magazine content enquiries.

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