Want to know the worst thing about Oklahoma! rehearsals? Those songs get stuck in your head for days. Seriously. I’ve had a weeklong loop of “People Will Say We’re In Love.” Not torture but my goodness, it just won’t go away.
But on to other business.
The dress rehearsals have started. And we all look like a Mid-Western rainbow of gingham and flowers.
But everybody all dolled up really does have a profound effect on the feel of rehearsal. The boys amble along like honest-to-goodness cowboys. The girls are mindful of their full skirts and dainty bonnets. Everyone sings a little bit louder and gusto abounds.

Not only have costumes been added – the orchestra pit is starting to fill up as well. (And not with the bodies of actors who have fallen off stage.) The student musicians have been practicing and it shows.
No longer are performers drowned out by pre-recorded music blaring out of monitors on stage. No, it’s far more genteel now. Conductor John Champney and those populating the pit have their work cut out for them during these recent rehearsals.
While so much progress has already been made, there are still plenty of kinks to iron out in the production. Who goes where, what to do when you say this or that, which piece of set needs to be hauled upstage.
Steve Padgett makes no apologies.
Wait, I take that back.
He does apologize to the pit.
However, he doesn’t apologize for those of us standing around for what seems like vast stretches of time. Not that he has to. As I’ve been told, sore feet are just part of the process. And the drama veterans of Shelby High know it well. It’s the newbies like me who green enough not to see it coming.
It’s bittersweet to think that rehearsals a nearing their end – and becoming more stringent as a consequence. Once the performances start (the 14th, 15th, and 16th for those of you keeping score at home) that’s it.

Hope to see you there!
And be sure to checkout the Oklahoma! interactive feature on shelbystar.com.

Labels: education, Oklahoma, schools, students

Not much to report this week, really. Rehearsals have been few and far between this week. Between my schedule and the students’ schedules – there’s just been no time.

That isn’t to say students haven’t been funneling time into the production. Magically, a set has appeared where once there was merely timber and power tools and hope. A house was built and while it may not be able to withstand a stiff wind, it is certainly able to hold up the various students that have been weaving their way through the roofing beams during construction.
A windmill – that looks suspiciously like an oil derrick right now – graces the other side of the stage.

I tell you all this with a sort of carefree it-just-appeared sort of way. Certainly, nothing could be farther from the truth. While I am my desk or on assignment there are Shelby High drama students who are graded (at least in part) on what they build. There’s hauling material to and fro, painting (and perfecting the delicate art of moving large pieces of set while the paint is still tacky and wet), costuming…oh the costuming.

While the boys may be able borrow boots, dig out some old dungarees and tuck a mop of hair into a cowboy hat, the girls, I feel, have a harder time of it. The cache of dresses already made isn’t all that limiting but most must be altered in some shape or fashion in order to be “Oklahoma-esque” enough for the stage.

Some students are opting to make costumes. A small area, lovingly called the ‘sweatshop’, is home to piles of fabric, straight pins, ironing boards and sewing machines. The dresses to make, if you’ll recall my description from last week, require mounds of fabric and a lot of detailed sewing.

Yet, students who are in classes all day, rehearsals all afternoon and doing homework all night (and somehow managing a social life) have managed to pull together sets and costumes that would give professional theaters a run for their money.

Being part of this production has already given me an appreciation for the undertaking just being in the play can be…but lately, it’s also lead to a huge amount of respect for the people that make it happen.

Check out video of my costume (in all its glory) and rehearsal at shelbystar.com under the video section.

Labels: education, Oklahoma, schools, students

This week, on my journey through Oklahoma! at Shelby High School, I’ve been to rehearsals and gotten in on “blocking.”
Blocking is the term used to indicate what movements an actor makes on stage. So far, my blocking consist of sitting on a bench, sitting on a bench while laughing and sitting on a bench while gasping in fear.
I’m not complaining. Seriously, you should see what everyone else is doing. A good chunk of the cast is being ‘blocked’ in a rather intricate square dance. Shame on Hollywood and television for fueling the misconception that dance numbers can be spontaneous responses to stimuli. Random groups of people never break out into song and dancing, folks, just isn’t as easy as it looks.
That’s not to say the students aren’t doing a stellar job, because they are.
Another set of actors just ‘blocked’ a fight scene. I won’t ruin the details for you but after a few hiccups, the whole scene really does look like somebody just got their lights punched out.
Sometimes it’s easy for me to forget this is a high school musical. The acting can blow you away…the affected accents can be dead on…choreography can be perfect.
But, at the end of the day, it is a bunch of high school students.
And that’s where Steve Padgett comes in. Padgett exerts just the right amount authority when handing down instruction. He is not an iron hammer but an oracle of sorts. People listen because he’s just so often right.
The students themselves seem to respond to his temperament. From my perch on my trusty, familiar bench, I’ve watched student-actors take instruction, heads bent in conference with Padgett. When they emerge from this huddle, each take their places ready to do what has to be done. The dedication and the delight are already apparent.
By Thursday, we had done blocking for the entire second act. (I’m happy to report I have sitting on a bench down to an art. A very subtle art.) Though I’m still not up on the music — that starts next week, for me — I feel less like an interloper.
All the students have been welcoming. Perhaps it isn’t unique to the ‘drama crowd’ but there is always someone ready to make you laugh. Funny voices, clever comebacks, elaborate pratfalls — all are available in the arsenals of these students. And they’re not afraid to use them.
Just don’t get caught laughing on stage…
Check out video of rehearsals (dancing and fighting!) under video section of shelbystar.com.

Labels: just for fun, Oklahoma, students

At my first rehearsal for Oklahoma! at Shelby High School, drama director Kathie Burgin welcomed me into the fold and then promptly put a piece of paper in my hand outlining just what was expected of me as a cast member.

I cannot, the paper said, use being in the play as an excuse to get out of the house. Well, that won’t be a problem. Mind you, it said nothing about using it as an excuse to get out of the office.
I also have to keep good grades. Easy enough, as I am not graded. Judged on a daily basis, yes. Graded, no.

At the top of the list of rules, in bold: no egos or temper tantrums.
I’ll keep that in mind. So far, smooth sailing.

To be honest, I was concerned about how I would be welcomed by the cast and crew.

It’s easy, I think, for people of a certain age to underestimate teenagers. Once you’ve worked in the ‘real world’ for a few years, it’s hard to feel sympathy for the troubles and stresses of high schoolers. But take a look at the cast and crew assembled in Malcolm Brown Auditorium and you don’t quite fear for the future as much.
They’re nice, funny, and conscientious — no one tried to stab me, no one egged my car, no one was strung out on drugs.
As my grandmother would say, they’re kids with their heads on straight.

As I type all that, I realize it kind of makes me sounds like I too used to have to walk to school up hill both ways…in the snow. A quick bit of math and I find that I’m around 10 years older than any freshmen cast or crew members. When younger students from elementary and the intermediate schools show up, I’ll be practically ancient to them. Remember how old everyone seemed when you were 11?

There’s a lot to look forward to. Next week, I’ll be heading to rehearsal more often. Learning the music and blocking (where I’m supposed to be on the stage) is going to be a big deal for me. And the costumes…a room, eerily reminiscent of a sweat shop, has been set up with sewing machines, ironing boards and patterns for students to create and alter costumes.
The set has been scaled back from original plans. Burgin said in the past two years, so much construction talent that she has to teach a lot of skills from square one. But with so many people on stage for the big numbers, the set will fill out nicely, she said.

Labels: education, just for fun, music, Oklahoma, schools, students

I love music. I love song. I have a good ear — I can hear an off note misfire without difficulty.

And there’s my curse people.

See, I know that when I sing, it’s not a pleasant experience for the listener. Oh, but I used to have a voice. As a child, I could sing. Somewhere in puberty I got womanly curves but lost a soprano set of pipes.

Oh how I wish I was one of those people (usually in the pew behind you) who make a joyful noise unto the Lord that's so cacophonous only their Lord and Savior could love it. They sing loud and proud and have no clue five miles away some golden retriever has cocked its head to the side in curiosity.

Nowadays, only an unfortunate few are privy to my singing. That’s about to change. Pretty soon, my voice will be on display for a much larger population.

Thanks to a kind invitation from Kathie Burgin and Steve Padgett — drama gurus of Shelby High School — I’ll be taking part in the school’s spring musical “Oklahoma!”
I’ll be going to rehearsals, learning the music, care of Tracy Aderholt, and the moves … I even get a costume. (I hope, hope, hope there's a bonnet.)

While preparing myself for the fabled gauntlet that is a Burgin-Padgett-Aderholt collaboration, I took a closer look at “Oklahoma!” I have to confess that while I’ve seen many musicals and know some by heart (Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang...I could go on. And on.), I don’t think I’ve ever seen “Oklahoma!” in its entirety.

I know the part with the “Oooooooklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain…” I’ve always felt a sort of solidarity with people from Oklahoma. I’m sure when they tell people where they’re from they have to hear that line at least six out of 10 times. I know what a trial that can be after growing up with a name that has been the title to songs by The Association, Kool and the Gang and Madonna.
(I also feel this bond with people named Roxanne, Gloria, Michelle, Janie, Angie, Brandy, Laura, Caroline, Layla, Jenny - and your number, Mickey, Jack and Diane, Sara, Lucy, Rhonda, Jolene, Sandy, Sherry, Eileen, Loretta, Donna, and Stacy's mom.)

And I know “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” but that’s more due to my grandfather’s constant crooning when I was growing up than the movie.

I did some research — i.e. Google, YouTube and Wikipedia — and found some videos of the musical numbers. After watching the performances and the square-dance-like choreography I have a sneaking suspicion that singing may not be my biggest hurtle. (Cause my singing my be gauche but my rhythm is laughable. And it doesn't help I'm built like a chubby spider-monkey.)

But I look forward to learning about the production process and getting to know some of the students I’ll be working alongside with. I never did drama in high school, so I think this will be a nice chance to revisit those days. (AND THOSE DAYS WEREN'T SO LONG AGO...just for the record.)

So, check in here when you can. I'll be updating the blog when I can and every Friday I'll have a column in the print edition. I'll be doing some video, too.

Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions or advice.

Labels: education, just for fun, music, Oklahoma, schools, students

I was up bright and early this morning to cover One Last Tri Triathlon and the Splash and Dash at Shelby City Park.

I wasn't the only one.

There were more than 100 competitors -- young and grown...
Lot's of parents...
Lot's of supporters...
And cheerleaders...

Cheerleaders from Crest Middle School were out manning a water/Gatorade station and cheering on cyclists as they passed.

Pretty cool, huh?

Matt Campbell, 10, crosses the line in the Splash and Dash Event

Labels: just for fun, photography, students, weekend

I sympathize with all those students, I really do. For me, the return to school was always a mixed occasion. Happy to be occupied with something other than digging in dirt or, once I was older, a summer job, was great but having to get up that early...and..learn...things...gah.

But as an education reporter I gotta tell ya, I'm thrilled that school is back in session. Summer, as you can imagine is a pretty lean time for a schools reporter. And much like summer vacation, the first two weeks were bliss. After the hectic rigour of the last days of school, a little down time was welcomed.

Week three was a different story. Keeping my story count up -- it's all about quotas -- with no schools to visit, it's hard. So I wrote about camps, the environment, the occasional crime stuff. Still, it was a pale imitation of the school beat heyday that runs form August to May.

But all that's over now. School's back. I'm back. And I'm excited about the year.

Here are some things I'll be keeping an eye on...

Shelby Middle's new uniform policy - Looking good and at 99 percent compliance the first day, everyone's eyes are on this school. (Continuing updates as milestones are reached...)

Accountability Report - Looks like a lot of schools are getting it right. Great strides were made all over the county. Still, some fell short. Marion Intermediate and James Love had some disappointing numbers but already teachers are working on any number of ways to improve scores. There's a lot of teamwork going on in the school system these days -- and it's a great sight. It'll be interesting to see just how these efforts pan out. (You'll see more in the paper about this bevy of numbers and data.)

Freshman academies -Everyone wants to increase the graduation rate and reduce drop-outs but it's clear there's no magic key to getting it done. Area schools have been trying out a freshman academies. If a student understands expectations, there's a better chance they'll meet them. I'll be talking with schools about how this is working and what kind of strategies are being used.

What else should I be looking into?

Labels: county, education, schools, students

I recently did an article about SAT performance in the county. Things have changed since I took the SAT. A new writing section has been added and 1600 is no longer a perfect score. The test, has been criticized as being biased...

Example: A famous example of alleged bias in the SAT I is the oarsman-regatta analogy question.The object of the question was to find the pair of terms that have the relationship most similar to the relationship between "runner" and "marathon". The correct answer was "oarsman" and "regatta".
The question relied upon students knowing the meaning of the two terms, referring to a sport popular with the wealthy. While 53% of white students correctly answered the question, only 22% of black students did. Analogy questions have since been replaced by short reading passages. However, gaps in scoring between black students and white students persist. - Wiki

But one of my favorite parts about the new SAT is the fact that the writing portion is scored not on factual accuracy but on the flow of writing. I could write the earth was flat and as long as I punctated properly, I could get a decent score.

All in all, I think county schools did well. All together they prepared hundreds of students to do well on the SAT. Any student who wanted to take it got to take it, so the numbers reflect an entire population of demographics.

Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, our local charter school, had a better average score than any of the high schools -- but hey, they only had to prepare 15 students. And while their scores are impressive...I am more impressed with the fact that so many students from N.C. actually took the test this year. Behind all these averages and numbers are students working hard to do well in school, parents supporting their quest and teachers arming them with the tools they need to get it done.

Labels: county, education, schools, students

State writing test scores

• Area schools are right at or a little above state average when it comes to the scores this year. Fourth-grade scores are down all over, seventh grade stayed pretty static as did tenth graders. The real standout is Kings Mountain High which saw a 20 percent increase in proficiency on the writing test. More in The Star later this week...

Uniform Fittings at Shelby Middle

• Educational Outfitters will be at SMS Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help size students for their uniforms. The kids seem surprisingly upbeat about the whole ordeal. For all the possibly nay-saying, everything seems to be going smoothly... the real test will be the first day of school.

Graduation

• Graduation is nigh upon us and let me tell you... it may be a hassle to attend one graduation ceremony. The heat, the crowd...not always pleasant. I'm responsible for covering five graduation ceremonies. I'm proud of all the graduates but if I'm running around high school campuses looking a little sour, you'll have to forgive me.

Labels: education, schools, students

Labels: Jefferson, schools, science, students