by Dr. Jeffrey L. Mitchell, Head of School

When a school comes together, it's magical. Of course, I am thinking about this weekend's all-school production of "Annie." The set, the costumes, the behind-the-scenes work by dozens of staff and parents, and a cast and crew of over 80, spanning all four Divisions, made for a production of the highest order.

 

All-school productions are important for the K-12 experience because they build community. When older students meaningfully and substantially work with younger students, the benefits are enormous. The older students become powerful teachers and role models, and the younger students look up to the older students. This is often more powerful than the teacher-student dynamic. As important, and certainly true with the cast of "Annie," older students realize how important it is for them to consistently do the right thing. Clearly, our older students rose to the occasion and displayed a level of maturity, responsibility and accountability beyond their years.

 

All-school productions also build community by showcasing students' talents that may not emerge in the classroom or in other settings. For example, two students in "Annie" are in the class I teach, and I was so proud to see a side of them I do not get to see in class.

 

The "magic" of all-school productions may ultimately rest in that they help bring students from comfort to courage. With hundreds of script changes, many tears (no doubt), lots of waiting around, and a postponement due to snow and ice — not to mention the pressure to perform and the keen desire not to let down the team — students (and staff) were frequently out of their comfort zones is this process. But with a supportive and well-structured environment, students developed tolerance for the challenging and opened up to the possibility of stretching their limits. This was a fertile environment for confidence to grow and spill over into other areas of the students' lives.

 

I want to offer a big thank you to "Annie" producer and director Mike Dominguez. Although there are too many cast and crew members and support people to thank individually, I would be remiss if I did not also thank fourth-grader Reagan Kidwell for her wonderful performance in the lead role as Annie and seniors Jacob Proctor, Ali Spencer and Tiffany Perea for sharing their talents with us all one final time before graduation. These three have made tremendous contributions to the theatre program in their years at CIA.

 

Hopefully, spring has finally sprung for good. April is another busy Currey Ingram month with testing in every Division, class trips in the Upper School and Middle School, and spring sports in full motion. As always, thank you for being part of the Currey Ingram community and allowing us to help your child make some magic every day.