Theater-arts program at PS 44 is a winner, say students

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – MARINERS HARBOR - Two classes of students at PS 44 are benefiting from a literacy-based theater arts program, thanks to a $21,120 grant they received from the Staten Island Foundation.

The initiative, which is run through a partnership with Sundog Theatre, St. George, is taught by professional teaching artist Richard Grunn. Lessons incorporate movement and vocal exercises, theater games, improvisation, vocabulary, emotional connection exercises and play-writing.

Sessions are designed to build self-awareness and confidence, increase reading comprehension and vocabulary, and foster imagination and creativity for third- and fourth-grade students with special needs. Additionally, the program seeks to help students develop public speaking and leadership skills, establish positive peer interactions, learn techniques of collaboration and teamwork and prepare for future successes in their lives.

By working closely with classroom teachers through weekly planning meetings, Grunn guides the students in exploring topics and writing their own short scripts. Students learn the dialogue and act out the events about which they have written, “allowing them to become active participants in the lessons they are learning,” Grunn explained. The stories and scripts are connected to the school’s English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. In the process, the students learn rehearsal, stage design and performance skills and techniques.

Classes run two periods, twice a week, in each class, and will continue through June. The program culminates in a final performance at the end of the year.

According to Cynthia Bradley, assistant principal of the Mariners Harbor school, preliminary reports related to the program are very positive. In fact, she noted, one student moved up two reading levels in just two months.

“Any opportunity we have to further expose our students to the performing arts further enriches the lives and education of our students,” said Principal Joseph Miller.

The class is a hit with students, too, who say they are having fun while they learn.

“Mr. Rich is teaching us how to act like different characters, like an old person, a businessman and a homeless person,” explained 8-year-old Nahshon Pass Jr. “It’s fun and we’re learning so much.”

“Mr. Rich makes it exciting and interesting, agreed Fhernando Ramirez, 8. “He lets us play these games where we can be any kind of character we want, but if someone else wants to be the same character, we have to work it out together,” he said, noting that his favorite character to play is a police officer.

Crystal Pereira, 9, said she enjoys learning new words. “We are learning new vocabulary words and all of us are getting so much better every day. We learn about wearing costumes and how to act like different characters. I have a lot of fun and I think I would like to be an actor and a teacher one day,” she said.

Nine-year-old Alexis Lowe, said she “likes when Mr. Rich writes vocabulary words on boxes and we show what the word means by acting it out by expressing ourselves.”

Her classmate, Kayla Geliga, said the classes have helped her build self-confidence. “We learn techniques for being better actors or actresses. We have fun all the time and really look forward to it. It has helped me feel more comfortable talking in front of everyone, because I used to feel shy,” she explained.

“Mr. Rich helps us if we have stage fright by telling us to pretend that no one is there,” said Syrus Scott, 9. “I feel more confident than I used to. I never used to raise my hand in class, but now I’m starting to. The other thing is we’ve all made new friends in our class too.”