Willly Wonka and AYP

I believe in recent years teachers and kids at Stephanie’s school have put on a play each fall and a musical in the spring. Last spring Stephanie’s English as a new language colleague Stephanie and the music teacher, Sally, another friend of Stephanie's, helped direct the musical ("101 Dalmations"). This year, the daughter of Susie Gahan, Abby, the principal (whom we’d seen back when she was in high school in “High School Musical,” embarked on her directorial debut, with “Will Wonka” (which cost the school $400 to buy the music to).

When I arrived at the front of Fairmont, the school lobby was festooned with decorations. Later Stephanie would help sell flowers to defray costs. Parents, staff, community folks, and students not in the play bought $3 tickets also to defray costs, and the cafeteria staff pitched in to make desserts which having a ticket gave you a chance to eat. Folks from the Church of God church down the street that has partnered with Fairmont had helped make lots of the costumes.

The production involved a range of lights, sound system (with a few kids having microphones taped to their faces Madonna style), and recorded music. All produced glitches at times.

Before the show got started, the principal told the audience what she had told Stephanie and her colleagues a few hours earlier in an after-school faculty meeting. After missing the Indiana version of “No Child Left Behind” “Adequate Yearly Progress” targets last year (and this becoming labeled a kind of failing school in – it turns out – a failing school district), the school this year passed AYP – no doubt in small part due to Stephanie’s students' improvements in the fall IN standardized test. A couple of years ago the state shorted the amount of time students had been learning English before their scores counted towards the school’s overall scores, and so last year Stephanie’s students dragged down the school’s average scores (though privately the superintendent – now on his way out – told Stephanie’s principal – who likes her program – not to worry).

Once again Stephanie had several students in the show, which featured regular set changes, singing, dancing, and some colorful costumes and props. Abby introduced the show (below).

On the far left is one of Stephanie's Asian American students, from China, who played the Candy Man.

I had to leave during the intermission/dessert buffet to drive to church to lead a phone focus group for work. On the way out Stephanie and I took a good look at the decorated lobby.

As I left, Stephanie and Ms. Gahan gave their colleague Katie a hand selling flowers. Stephanie said eventually they sold out!

Stephanie, who saw the show dress rehearsal Wednesday, said the show improved each time, and the second half I missed was the best yet. I had seen another of Stephanie's students in a cowboy hat (Mike Teevee). But I missed a third student of hers and lots of classmates as Oompa-Loompas. I did, however, make it to church with almost 10 minutes to spare and - with Joelle and Ellen on the phone - led one of the better of the six resourcing congregations for mission endeavors we've led this past week.

-- Perry