This year's chosen play was Flat Stanley. In previous years, we've done The Magic Schoolbus, A Seussical Musical, and You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. All of these are written musicals already and the kids did a phenominal job. We honestly weren't sure how Flat Stanley would turn out compared to those.
Can I just tell you it was still amazing? I think even more so because each of those kids up there wrote every single line for the play. The teacher in me squeals with delight because there's so much literacy, science and social studies happening as Stanley travels around the globe and learns about each country's customs, weather, and history along the way. Not only that, I'm always amazed at the teamwork they use to pull this thing off each year. The enthusiasm they bring is incredible, even from these fifth graders who think they're too cool for this sort of thing! Ha!
The kids put on two performances, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. I was solo for the first performance, but got to sit with my little buddy for the second! Jake was actually there too, but Cooper was my "official date!" :)
Our beloved Miss Wendy came to cheer on the kids as well. I'm so grateful we have some Wisconsin family to fill the void of Michigan family in times like these!
One of the songs is called "I Wish" and Stanley dreams of being a hero like Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker and having victory over the "bad guys." Cole played the role of Voldemort, the ugliest character you could possibly be in the play!
Still, that sweet Cole smile came through every once in a while and we got a glimpse of the cutie under all of that makeup.
This is the last musical Cole will do with Explore because he'll be in sixth grade next year. I think he's pretty happy he got to go out as Voldemort, even though Harry killed him!
Laina met Stanley as a surfer girl and rocked out to "Surfin' USA" by the Beach Boys.
Maurah met Stanley in Mexico and sang a song called "De Colores" all in Spanish talking about all of the beautiful colors you see there.
And then Laina performed a song from Israel using rhythm sticks and voices only.
Hayden met Stanely in China where she told him all sorts of interesting facts about the country.
Cole's class then performed a dance with these yard sticks that was phenomenal. Each of them ended up carring them as a star pattern in the end. The kids were excited to have the audience clap for them before the dance was even done!
Maurah rounded out the play with having a role in "What a Wonderful World." I didn't get great photos of her because I was capturing the video (which is apparently much too large for the blog), but there is nothing sweeter than children's voices singing like they were.
And it wouldn't be an experience if we didn't get a shot of these girls all together! They were so proud of themselves after their first performance!
More and more I'm just so thankful for the school we attend and that my kids get to have opportunties like these. I know the realities that many schools don't have the budget or don't have the staff who wants to do anything "extra" when it comes to working with and teaching children. I've been in a lot of those classrooms. But Explore teachers always go above and beyond and these musicals showcase that in a major way. Love our school and love these sweet kids!
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