Melrose Leadership Academy Spring Performance
Besides learning Spanish and English, Melrose Leadership Academy students also learn presentation skills. In the four years of the Spanish dual immersion bilingual program, my daughter has participated at least nine times during a “presentation expo.” There is always a Winter Expo and a Spring Expo. A few times the students perform twice each season. My son, who finishes first grade next week, has performed at least five times. On Wednesday, June 5, 2013, MLA held the Spring Performance Expo.
As the official PTSA Board Historian for two years, it has been my responsibility to document many of our school activities. Before we had a PTSA, I documented most of the Performance and Academic Expos. I have enjoyed the responsibility. I am able to see the students and educators prepare backstage. I see many of the performers support their classmates. I witness their personal growth.
Our school is a community. Adults help the student-performers prepare. Often, younger siblings watch their older family members. The community members learn from each other. We share expectations.
Waiting. There is a great deal of waiting. Everyone waits, and I suspect that the audience members feel that they wait a long time to see their children perform. The youngsters wait too. At a young age, our students learn how to manage emotions and wait. Students who were afraid become confident. This is not a language skill. It is a life skill.
In August, Melrose Leadership moved into a bigger site. (The multipurpose room is about three times larger than the old auditorium.) Our community continues learning new expectations. Now our final dance has moved into the audience. What will happen next year?
If you are interested in viewing previous photo galleries of Melrose Leadership Academy Performance Expos, you can click on the posts below. You can also view my old blog for early MLA stories.
More Than Kids MLA Blog Posts (The beginning of the Spanish immersion program)
It was my first time seeing the kids at the after school EXPO. They all gave fantastic performances! I love the first picture…1st grad students cheering each other on!
Ms. Ramirez,
Thank you for teaching and preparing the students during the year. (And thank you for the compliments on my photos!). I really enjoy watching the students grow from little kindergarten kids afraid to walk on stage to first grade kids with confidence. On my photo page ( http://www.bryanfarley.com/) I have a gallery with some of your old first graders when they were still in kindergarten.