Headlines - May 4, 2012 This past Wednesday, the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble made a stop at Friends School. They are a small traveling company that writes, directs and stages it own performances. They were also the recipients of generous grant from the foundation and offered to present a performance for us. Teacher Brenda Boggess from Greenwood Friends School recommended them and Mary was able to squeeze them into an already busy May. The play was about William Penn and the founding of his holy experiment; Pennsylvania. The three actors arrived early and quickly set up a small but truly flexible set. As the students came in there were many questions on their faces. Suddenly, through the use of costumes, props, acting, and a model printing press we were all transported to London in the 1600’s. Soon we were learning about William and his strained relationship with his father. Instead of learning the manners and skills of a gentleman and soldier like his father, William was enamored with books and studied while others learned how to fight. While his father was in the King’s good graces, William found himself in jail for refusing to accept the dogma of the crown’s religion. The story continues to the point where William discovers a Quaker Meeting. At this scene, the three actors sit on their benches and go silent. To my surprise so did our children. Our impromptu worship goes on for a while and not a sound is heard. The actors seemed a little confused but finally, after a long pause, ended the silence. I wondered if their experience in other schools had been like ours. As the play marched to its conclusion, we enjoyed the scenes of William meeting George Fox, converting to Quakerism, being jailed again, making up with his father and trading his father’s loans to the King for land in the new world where he and a gathering of Quakers would set up the colony of Pennsylvania. It proved to be a wonderful play and I am sure that everyone left that morning with a greater appreciation of William Penn’s journey and the holy experiment. They cast was inspired and I thank our good fortune to have this performance at our school. After the show, Mary and I had the opportunity to talk with the cast and we asked them about the silence during the play’s meeting scene. As we suspected, the cast was surprised by how our students were able to maintain the silence. They don’t usually have the audience participate in meeting with them. They found it to be a unique experience. Meeting for Worship is a simple act but we often find that its effect on our students and others can be quite profound. It is a way for us to collectively relax, clear our minds, and be open to connections. I think having meeting in the play gave our students a real connection to the life of William Penn and the trials that so many Quakers faced as they practiced their faith and found the colony of Pennsylvania. Announcements Chinese Club: Our afterschool Chinese language and culture program for grades 4-8 got off to a good start on Monday The students met our teachers and were treated to a picture show on China. Gang Hu will begin teaching students about the Chinese alphabet this week. We will meet from 3:20 to 4:30 pm for the next 3 Mondays in May. The club remains open to all interested students. Please let Diane at the front desk know. Class Plays: April and May constitute play season at the school. So far Teachers Nick and Tim’s classes have given some truly inspired performances as pig and twits. Here is the listing of remaining performances: Tuesday May 8 Tr. Sunna’s 2/3 class Wednesday May 16 Tr. Becky’s 2/3 class Tuesday May 22 Middle School *All performances begin at 1pm Middle School Scholarships: This year the school is currently accepting applications for merit and need-based scholarships to deserving students entering the 5th through 8th grade. We are seeking students who embrace learning, are committed to building community, and display a willingness to lead. Summer Maintenance Work: We’ll be hiring part-time help this summer for maintenance, painting, and cleaning work. Please call if you’d like an application, and feel free to spread the word to anyone you know who may enjoy this type of summer job. See you on Saturday! Dan