Loose Leaf Notes

~ The following appeared in The Floyd Press in July, 2013. Because of Floydfest I missed posting it until  now.

Rising Sun Community School (RSCS), a new Montessori-based school in Floyd, had a successful first year. With sixteen children (ages 2 ½ to 6) enrolled in preschool for the fall, there is a waiting list for the preschool but still some openings for the elementary school (ages 7 to 13), said school co-founder and certified Montessori teacher Susan Saunders at the school’s first annual Firefly Fling. 

Held at the June Bug Center Thursday evening, the Firefly Fling showcased local musicians, singers, dancers and actors in a two hour talent show that was offered at a suggested donation of $5 to $10. The event also featured a silent auction of donated items to benefit the school.  A prepared environment with a sampling of Montessori curriculum areas and materials drew a crowd of children and parents before the show and during intermission.

In her welcoming address to the audience, school co-founder and teacher Stacy Dowd (pictured in photo #1) described the Montessori hands-on, self-paced, collaborative learning approach, where children are free to spontaneously explore materials in mixed-aged classrooms.  Quoting from founder Maria Montessori, Dowd said, “Education is a natural process carried out by the human individual and is not carried out by listening to words, but by experiences in the environment.”

“It’s been a really mellow first year.  I couldn’t have asked for it to be better,” said Saunders from the June Bug Center’s Black Box Theater stage.  She thanked the community and the school’s board for their support before turning the show over to the evening’s MC, Maggie Hessinger.

Hessinger, a member of the Locust Street Players (LSP) theater troupe, directed Saunders, Dowd (LSP member founders) and others in the troupe’s first Floyd production, Birth.  Hessinger played her MC role in the comical character of a no-nonsense teacher, educating the audience and instructing them in show rules. She also introduced the performers.

As teacher/MC Hessinger interacted in comedy skits throughout the production with Saunders’ husband John, who played an interrupting janitor with a secret desire to perform on stage. Hessinger also used physical comedy in her performance of “The Evolution of Dance,” which the audience responded to with laughter and cheers.

Following a short film about Montessori education, Ash Devine opened the show. In town from her current home in Asheville, NC, Devine sang and did some clowning, enlisting the help of an audience member to improvise a dance to a song titled Mail Myself to You.

Other musical performances included Ed Cohn, who sang an interactive song by Pete Seeger and wowed the crowd with his opera singing, and Kari Kovick of Heart of the Child Social and Emotional Education.

The Unapologetics, Emily Williamson, Erica Joy and John Wilson, performed a cover by Bonnie Raitt and a Carter Family song.  

A musical skit (Milk Shakin’ Mama) included a cast of costumed characters and was told in song by Mara Robbins and her sister Anna Bradburn.

Ian Gammarino, a Floyd high school and YAC (Young Actors Coop) alumn who is studying theater in college, performed a fast rapping monologue by George Carlin, called Modern Man.  Other memorable skits included Boy or Girl? played by Mara Robbins and Susan Saunders (photo #5), and a striking one that featured two winged angels brainstorming about creation, played by Anne Armistead and Mara Robbins.

The talent show closed with a song by Saunders’ son (an RSCS student) Donovon Saunders singing Fireflies …  I’d get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs as they tried to teach me how to dance.  During his song talent show participants walked across stage, one by one, lighting the stage like fireflies in the night. ~ Colleen  Redman

Note:  Since this story was written the elementary school enrollment has been filled and the school year is underway.  For more information about the RSCS and other related projects, such as the PEACE program: Peer Education and Community Enrichment, contact RisingSunCommunitySchool@gmail.com or phone 745-2229.  To view video clips of the Firefly Fling talent show search “Firefly Fling Floyd” at youtube.com. The above photo is of Leia Jones, who performed a surreal dance to the accompaniment of the thumb piano played by Erica Joy.