High School Newsbite: February 24th, 2025

Posted Date: 2/24/25 (10:07 PM)

Matilda! The Musical

The cast of Matilda traveled to SHRES and the Middle School on Location on Tuesday, February 18th to give younger students a glimpse of the show.

Matilda debuts Thursday, February 27th. This is Mrs. DiStaulo's first musical at South! We caught up with a few members of the cast to learn more about what to expect from the show and what it's been like working with Mrs. DiStaulo for the first time. Don't forget to purchase your tickets soon, before they sell out.

Maddie Groves (11th Grade, Mrs. Wormwood)

Annabel Billman (9th Grade, Lavender)

Maddie, Annabel and 8th grader Zin Kassel (who plays Bruce) share more about their experience below.

What can we expect to see from your character?

MG: Mrs. Wormwood is a ditsy, silly, and most importantly stupid woman. She is always wearing tight neon clothing and is making a fool of herself when she enters dancing competitions around the globe. She's very tacky and loves money!

AB: You can expect Lavender to be that very bubbly and annoying character, she is a brat but she is also someone who cares about her friends and family tremendously. Lavender is a little mischievous and will always mess with someone, just for the fun of it.

ZK: You can expect to see fun songs and dancing. As well as really diving into the characters true colors!

What are you looking forward to most?

MG: Performing! One of the most exciting things for me in this complicated process is the end result: a mind blowing performance! The people in this show have such a special place in my heart and are working so hard. I can't wait for all this hard work to pay off and create such a memory for everyone involved.

AB: I am looking forward to performing these shows with my friends and having an amazing show.

ZK: I am looking forward to doing two specific song called Revolting Children and When I Grow Up. They look really good and put together!

How has it been preparing for the show?

MG: Hard work, this definitely has been one of the most difficult shows I've been in. With that being said it has also been one of the most fun shows I've ever been in. I know the hard work is going to pay off and we will create a show to remember!

AB: It has been a long journey from the workshops to tech week but it has always been fun. Yes the days are long, (starting at 3 and lasting till 7 at night) but it is all worth it to put on an amazing performance for our friends and families.

ZK: Preparing for the show has been one hard thing to do. Especially because we have to balance our long nights along with homework. It really helps us all manage our time well though which is great! It’s all so worth it!!

What was it like performing at the elementary school(s)?

MG: I absolutely adore performing for the elementary schools, it highlights south's theater program and inspires young kids to be in the performing arts. This year in particular was exciting because the kids were super excited knowing that Matilda (a very popular story) was going to be on stage! I remember when I was younger and at my elementary school the performing arts programs from the high school and middle school would perform for us and it inspired me greatly to perform!

AB: It was so much fun to see the kids enjoying the show and hoping to be up there one day! It was a perk that we got to miss a tiny bit of school and it is so much fun to spark some creativity into these kids' lives.

ZK: Performing at the elementary schools was just so fun! Especially performing for a wide variety of grades! Even though we only got to show them a tiny peak we still got to hopefully show them how fun theater can be!

How has it been working with Mrs. DiStaulo this year?

MG: Mrs. DiStaulo and I met last year when she was working part time as help in my Spanish class. We bonded greatly and I was super excited to work with her! She has a bright vision for this show, and brings a level of creativity unlike no other. She's an amazing woman and really lets us become our best on stage! So yes, it has been absolutely great working with her!

AB: It was kinda bumpy at the start, but once we got into a rhythm with each other it was super easy and smooth sailing from that point on. Mrs. D makes sure that we have creative freedom to be the character we want to be and encourages us to be extra on stage. When we have questions or don't understand something she helps us through and makes sure that everything runs smoothly. We all love her very much and are so happy she joined our South Family.

ZK: Oh my goodness Ms. DiStaulo is just such an amazing director and person in general! She makes rehearsals so incredibly fun and hilarious! She also knows how to tone it down if needed, as well as giving us extremely helpful and kind feedback! I love Ms. DiStaulo very much and there’s so much more I could say about her. I just appreciate her so much and am so thankful for all she’s done for our cast!

Dylan Matz, who plays Mr. Wormwood in Matilda, produced the following segment on Mrs. DiStaulo's theater classes earlier this year as part of his work in TV & Media class.

School News

Love the Bus

Love the Bus Month celebrates the importance of school buses and the experiences of students riding them in the United States.

SHRHS staff and students showed their appreciation for our South Hunterdon bus drivers and transportation secretary by wearing yellow on Wednesday, February 19th.

FFA Week

Ag students led the celebration of National FFA Week (February 15th-22nd) by organizing a charity collection for an animal shelter and participating in a spirit week with different themes, including: PJ Day, Camo Day, Twin Day and Blue and Gold Day.

Eagles Insider

The TV & Media classes have produced twelve episodes of Eagles Insider so far this year! Here's a look at the last two episodes.

February 13th, 2025

Hosted by Scarlett Vavrence, this episode of Eagles Insider features Valentine's Day, Random Acts of Kindness Day, a message on Cyber Bullying and the Tabletop Games club.

February 21st, 2025

Hosted by Caitlin Webb, this episode of Eagles Insider features Jackie Robinson, veterinarians, and important messages on internet safety and teen dating violence.

Upcoming Events

02.27.25 - 03.01.25 Matilda the Musical