Kluge Elementary School: An after school residency begins!

Voice and Movement with Miss Jenn

First Stage is so excited to welcome over twenty-five K5-5^th grade Kluge

students into our after school programming on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. When the school bell rings, the First Stage students join us in the cafeteria to put on their First Stage t-shirts, eat a snack and get some extra help with their homework before we start our classes each day. Once snack and homework is finished, we gather together for Beginning of Day, where we share positive “Challenges” we have for ourselves and our classmates that afternoon, and participate in the First Stage Cheer! Then, we move into two classes – Creative Drama/Scene Studies and Voice and Movement.  We end our day at 4:30 p.m., gathering back together for End of Day, where we share “Acknowledgements” and recognize the great work that was accomplished during classes. Every day, we see our students grow as artists, and more importantly, as confident and supportive young people who are not afraid to take risks and conquer their fears!  We are so excited to be a part of the Kluge Elementary School community, and for your students to be a part of the First Stage family!

Pre-performance pizza party at the Milwaukee Youth
Arts Center

First Stage Family Night

We hosted our first Family Night event on Wednesday, November 26^th with a trip to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, to see RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL.  Over 30 First Stage/Kluge students and their families joined us for this exciting event kicking off the Holiday season.  Before heading to the theater, we stopped at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center for a tour of the facility and a pizza party. The Milwaukee Youth Arts Center is where First Stage rehearses our productions and where the First Stage Academy holds classes year round.

What’s going on in the classrooms?

K5-2 Grade Creative Drama with Miss Ashlea and Miss Sasha

First Stage recognizes the important role that literacy plays in a child’s life—and for early elementary students, exploring and playing with books is essential in laying the building blocks for long-term literacy development. In the Creative Drama class for K5-2^nd grade students, a well-known picture book is read to the class and used as a springboard for the lesson.  Students are up and out of their seats, engaging in story drama activities such as role play, creative movement exercises, and pantomime.   Additionally, each session focuses on a different grade appropriate Common Core State Standard for English Language Arts and Literacy.  This fall semester, we are exploring Where the Wild Things Are, Gugi Gugi, Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock, and If You Take a Mouse to the Movies.

Miss Ashlea demonstrates Creative Drama

  

3-5 Grade Scene Studies with Miss Ashlea and Miss Sasha

Exploring stories through drama not only strengthens a young person’s curiosity and imagination, it also aids in the creation of a deeper personal understanding and relationship to the themes, skills, and text being explored.  The scene studies class is designed to assist students in developing skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and is directly linked to the 3^rd-5^th grade Common Core Standards in English Language Arts.  Students are actively engaged in exploring new and familiar stories, creating characters and sharing scenes from scripts as they master acting fundamentals and strengthen their close reading techniques.  This fall semester, we are delving into fairy tales, by retelling classic tales and writing and performing our very own fractured fairy tales!  We will then move into the fantasy genre and The Neverending Story.   

K5-5^th Grade Voice and Movement with Miss JennIn Voice and Movement this year, students will be exercising their creativity through exercises that emphasize the use of the body, voice and imagination!  We will create characters, solve problems, and tell stories using improvisation, dance, pantomime, public speaking and ensemble building activities. We will use stories and ideas that connect to our math curriculum in order to support our classwork in a fun and active way. Students will gain awareness and control of their bodies and voices that they can use as confident and focused members of their classrooms and community. 

Learn more about First Stage Theater Academy and School Year Literacy Residencies.