Monday, May 17, 2010
The Anticipation is More than I can Take!
This past week was the annual third grade play. I decided that it would be a great chance to expose my one-year old son to his first theatrical performance and it did not disappoint. In fact, he was enjoying the show so much and squealing so loudly with delight as elves danced and sang that we had to leave for a time, much to his dismay.
At the mention of a third-grade play, you may be conjuring images of kids in clothes loosely described as costumes on a stage running in circles bumping into one another as they spout lines that are almost right at nearly the right time. In short, you may be imagining organized chaos about which the audience of parents applauds wildly, That, at least, is my recollection of the plays I was in at a young age.
Now imagine thirty-six third graders in costumes befitting a high school play, performing on a set also worthy of older thespians. Not only do these kids look the part, but they execute an originally adapted version of The Shoemaker and the Elves, complete with singing and speaking parts for all, flawlessly. This is what typifies the annual third-grade play. The students have practiced for months along with their theater and music teachers as well as their homeroom teachers, who are on hand to orchestrate timing behind the scenes. The pride on the faces of the students at the conclusion of the performance is obvious. It mirrors the pride and jubilation on the faces of their parents and teachers. There is no mistake that the fabulous performance is the result of multiple teachers pouring themselves into this production over a number of weeks helping the children to become not only proficient, but enthusiastic about the task at hand.
The fact that this experience is replicated year after year in the same exacting and exciting fashion is what makes the third-grade play so special. This annual ritual is only one example of the ways in which young children at Wakefield are encouraged and provided with opportunities to seek a challenge and then bask in the glow of accomplishment. It is just one example of the ways in which teachers go out of their way to build the confidence of our youngest students. Finally, it is just one of the events or classes that I witness regularly that makes me say to myself, “I can’t wait for Luke to get to do that”. In all honesty, I find myself murmuring that phrase throughout the week as I walk around Wakefield…I wonder if I can get them to start a daycare because I don’t know if I can wait two more years to give him these opportunities!
At the mention of a third-grade play, you may be conjuring images of kids in clothes loosely described as costumes on a stage running in circles bumping into one another as they spout lines that are almost right at nearly the right time. In short, you may be imagining organized chaos about which the audience of parents applauds wildly, That, at least, is my recollection of the plays I was in at a young age.
Now imagine thirty-six third graders in costumes befitting a high school play, performing on a set also worthy of older thespians. Not only do these kids look the part, but they execute an originally adapted version of The Shoemaker and the Elves, complete with singing and speaking parts for all, flawlessly. This is what typifies the annual third-grade play. The students have practiced for months along with their theater and music teachers as well as their homeroom teachers, who are on hand to orchestrate timing behind the scenes. The pride on the faces of the students at the conclusion of the performance is obvious. It mirrors the pride and jubilation on the faces of their parents and teachers. There is no mistake that the fabulous performance is the result of multiple teachers pouring themselves into this production over a number of weeks helping the children to become not only proficient, but enthusiastic about the task at hand.
The fact that this experience is replicated year after year in the same exacting and exciting fashion is what makes the third-grade play so special. This annual ritual is only one example of the ways in which young children at Wakefield are encouraged and provided with opportunities to seek a challenge and then bask in the glow of accomplishment. It is just one example of the ways in which teachers go out of their way to build the confidence of our youngest students. Finally, it is just one of the events or classes that I witness regularly that makes me say to myself, “I can’t wait for Luke to get to do that”. In all honesty, I find myself murmuring that phrase throughout the week as I walk around Wakefield…I wonder if I can get them to start a daycare because I don’t know if I can wait two more years to give him these opportunities!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
