This week was Circus Week at North Park and what a week it was! The National Circus Project spent the week with us and kicked off the week with a performance for the entire school. The week continued with workshops everyday and ended with the fifth grade class performing for the school in the afternoon and for families and friends on Friday night. It is truly the most intense and, in many ways, one of the most rewarding weeks of the year. Click the links below for pictures of the week!
Circus Week Pictures
5th Grade Circus Show
.....We decided that this week would be a perfect week to begin to travel down "Perseverance Path". Students were encouraged to persevere as they learned a variety of circus skills. We all needed a bit of perseverance this week and Fitness Frankie got into the act too!
.....Renaldo and Justin from the National Circus Project performed an amazing show for us at the beginning of the week. They are so skilled and they always get the audience involved. One student was asked to go up on stage to help with a skill. It was his first week at North Park! What a way to begin!
.....Renaldo asked on of the adults to come up on the stage to help with a trick. The person he picked is someone who does not like to be the center of attention but she was so gracious and did terrific job! I saw her after the performance and, knowing that being up on the stage must have been challenging, I thanked her for being a good sport. Her response was: "only for you Mrs. R!" How nice was that!
.....The laughter and smiles during the Circus show at the beginning of the week were electrifying! I don't think I stopped smiling and laughing all week!
.....During the week I saw multiple instances of perseverance and the joy of success when a particular goal was accomplished. I saw stilt walkers walk with confidence, plate spinners do tricks they never thought possible, jugglers juggle basketballs, rings, scarves, and balls, and many, many more successes. I was proud of students and staff alike as they tried new things and worked at getting better!
.....During the Friday afternoon performance a stilt walker made several attempts to walk up a series of mats arranged at different levels. Renaldo always says there is only one way in the circus - "All the way!" The stilt walker continued to persevere with Renaldo's encouragement and successfully made it up and down the mats! The roar of the crowd was deafening as they applauded his effort and his success!
.....After the Friday afternoon school performance so many adults came up to me to tell me what a great week it was and despite the expense of the program we need to do whatever it takes to bring the program back again next year. Several adults began to suggest ways to make it happen!
.....After the Friday evening performance I had a chance to speak with students and parents and congratulate them on a job well done! One student remarked that he had done his best, another said that he was actually impressed with himself, and still others were proud of their hard work and perseverance!
.....It is hard to describe the feeling that comes from knowing that this program is about so much more than the actual skills being learned. There is one particular example of this that I would like to share. Even before the week began a student asked me if everyone had to be in the circus show. It was clear that he did not want to be a part of it. I asked him to keep an open mind and see how the week went before he made a decision. The beginning of the week was difficult and while he reluctantly participated in the skill practice, I was sure that being a part of the performance at the end of the week would be out of the question. As the week progressed I witnessed an amazing transformation. I had tears in my eyes as I told him how proud I was of him and I had the chance to share the same message with his dad. It was then that I was reminded of the value of this intense and amazing week.
I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week!" To find out more about the PE program at North Park, visit my website: North Park Physical Education
