CCS Special Events
CCS and Ugandan Students Dance and Sing Together AND CCS Students Create Vibrant Rain Forest
by Rowan Beck,
May 19, 2011, pages 6 & 7.....

CCS and Ugandan Students Dance and Sing Together
On the morning of May 5, a truly international exchange occurred at Charlotte Central School (CCS) through the sounds of music. Thanks to the 52 Kids Foundation, the students at CCS were able to Skype a musical performance to students in Uganda and watch one in return. Faculty members Mary Muroski, Colleen Brady, Andy Smith, Allyson Ledoux and Ed Bianchi worked tirelessly to bring about this “real-time exchange.” The outcome was deeply emotional and positive.
The library was abuzz as students, faculty and administrators awaited the bleep of a connection on the large white board that announced the call from Uganda. Originally the event was scheduled to be in the multipurpose room, but due to technical challenges the library was chosen. A dry run was performed at 7:30 a.m. and all was a “go.” But by the time 8:45 a.m. rolled around, things had changed. It was raining in Uganda, and Mary was informed via text that the Ugandans had lost power. This was a wonderful opportunity for the CCS students. She announced that they were switching over to the solar panels for electricity – the ones that the Charlotte students had raised the money for during their Leading For Reading challenge this past fall. Not only were they having a cultural exchange, but also they saw the results of the money they had raised for the 52 Kids Foundation.
As students waited, the first graders from Colleen Brady’s class performed a song they were practicing for Grandparents Day.
Everyone tingled with anticipation as the call came through. “I hope this works,” Ed Bianchi whispered. The white board was then filled with happy smiling faces and waves. “Hello Uganda!” Charlotte students called out. With that the performance began with the girls’ chorus singing “These Green Hills,” followed by the boys chorus singing the world soccer theme, “Waving Flag.” Students in Uganda clapped and danced along to the beat. The stage band completed the CCS performance by playing “What a Wonderful World.” The room was filled with emotion – some even got a little teary.
Then the Ugandan students began their performance. Approximately 22 students had gathered outside the dormitory under cover, which was about the size of a sidewalk. Some community members turned out to help by playing the drums. They had been practicing for the past couple of weeks and performed some traditional dances and sang a song about things that separate families. CCS students were amazed at how quickly and quietly they got organized. CCS students were also riveted as they watched their performances. When they finished, there was enthusiastic applause and many thank-yous from both sides. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us and the presentation. Thank you!” said Julie, the dorm mother in Uganda. Then with many more waves and a blip they were gone.
“That was so cool!” Emme Hardy said as she left the library. Joey Franceschetti concurred with, “It was so fun we got to see what they do. They are so different from us.” John Koerner, current 52 Kids organizer, “wished we’d had a better camera and mic, but I’m amazed that it came off as well as it did! CCS did a great job.” The response by students was overwhelmingly positive, and they were totally engaged throughout the performance. “It was from a whole other side of the world, and we were lucky to be able to do it. It’s a good milestone, in the sixth grade being able to help Ugandans. What a cool experience,” Anne Bedell said later in the band room.
An incredible amount of effort and teamwork were required to pull it all together. “It was truly an amazing thing to watch CCS students interacting with students half-way around the world in Uganda in real time in our very own library! To see and hear the Ugandan students on screen dancing to the music of the CCS Stage Band and our CCS student singers was incredible. Better yet, to watch the look on the faces of our students as they watched, listened, smiled, waved and cheered along with their Ugandan counterparts is difficult to describe. It felt like we were building these new friendships with neighbors in a far off land, and we were at the same time strengthening our own bond as a CCS community,” said co-principal Greg Marino.
“A lot of learning went on today. We were watching on a huge whiteboard, they were watching on a laptop, confined to a small space. Today was a great example of how there are no borders with music and that the world these kids live in is not the world we grew up in,” said Andy Smith, who smiled as he returned to his other students in the band room.
---------------

CCS Students Create Vibrant Rain Forest

The Charlotte Central School’s gym was filled Thursday, May 12, with vibrant colors and energy as the 6th grade students performed their “Life at the Rain Forest.” Monica Smith, retired principal, made a guest appearance as the MC and saluted art teacher, Alice Bourgoin, and physical education teacher, Robyn Davis, for their hard work. There were two performances for students and parents, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Each performance took about 45 minutes.
What a tribute it was. The students created everything from costumes to the scenery – except for the waterfall: the creative talents of Tom Baginski and Susan Vigsnes did that! Brilliantly colored flowers, lizards, trees and various other creations of paper adorned the gym or hung from the ceiling. Students began working on the scenery in January and began practicing their dances in late March.
There were five elaborate dances involving bouncy balls, ropes, rollerblades and scooters, all illuminated by lighting specialists CW Stageworks. The students wore costumes of the animals in the rain forest. Audience members saw frogs bouncing, monkeys swinging, birds skating, all to music ranging from Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” to MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This.” It was quite a performance, culminating with a dance of garbage bags. “It was an exercise in trust!” Robyn smiled. It was a large production that came together quickly and gracefully. In the final dance the lights dimmed and students held up colorful glow sticks, swaying them above their heads, as if they were fireflies in the night sky. Beautiful.