Midway Elementary School students perform end-of-the-year show

'Shrek, Jr. The Musical' shows scheduled for Friday, Saturday

SANFORD, Fla. – Every year, the talented fifth-graders at Midway Elementary School of the Arts put on an end-of-the-year show that rivals the high school level. This year, the students and staff have worked all year to produce "Shrek, Jr. The Musical."

"It's a lot of fun and with the special production it makes kids want to go to school and learn," Raleigh Hudock, a 5th grader playing "Mama Bear," said.
 
"In our arts class, we learn musical theater, being on stage, directions, choreography. And in class, we are very creative with how we learn," Mia Melendez, a fifth-grader playing "Donkey," said.
 
At Midway, the "Artful Learning" educational philosophy model incorporates the arts into every grade and subject.
The show is a culmination of experiences for fifth-graders who've been immersed in the arts since kindergarten.
 
"Some people might say the show is an assessment to show all they've learned in the academics and the arts. Then they're also learning life skills, like self esteem and teamwork," Scheshin Quinn, the artful learning facilitator, explained.
 
Now on their way to middle school, the fifth graders at Midway understand how the arts have benefited them thus far in several areas of their lives.

"At first, I was quite shy of the stage, but now I feel more confident being in front of people," Melendez said.

"I want to become an engineer and being in the plays helps build a lot of teamwork skills and engineers work in groups, so that helps a lot," Hudock said.
 
"I've learned you need teamwork with everything you do. You have to work together and you want to cooperate with others to help you. If you don't know something, somebody else might know and help you out later in life," Marvin Brown, a fifth grader playing "Captain of the Guards," said.

Midway is the only elementary school level performing arts school in Seminole County Public Schools. It's open to all elementary age children in the county through an application process.

 


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