Little Orphan Annie is a tale of never giving up hope and reminding us that family can be found within your community and heart. At the conclusion of the GSCD ENL Summer Academy Theater Program, students in grades kindergarten through seventh brought their hearts and souls to the performance of Annie, Jr., the iconic Broadway musical best known for the songs “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard-Knock Life.” The show was staged at Richard J. Bailey in front of a packed audience of family, friends, teachers, and building administrators.
This marked the third year of the Summer Academy Theatre Program, as well as the third performance in partnership with the non-profit theater organization KJK Productions. “The ENL Summer Academy Theater Program has become a beloved part of our summer learning experience offering our students a wonderful opportunity to express their language development through the arts,” said Catherine Addor, Director of IB, World Languages, and ENL.
The mission of KJK is to enrich, entertain, and educate students through theater arts. “This is my third year working with Greenburgh students, and it is a joy every single time to get to know these students, see them blossom, and learn and grow in their confidence,” said KJK’s Anne Cavaliere, who directed the student production. “That’s what this is all about. They really are a special group.”
The nine-day theater workshop is a highlight for students and staff alike, and not only is it a fun experience, it also brings unique value to language learners. Summer Academy ENL teacher Janet Dangler found it to be an incredibly rewarding experience to work with students through a lens of creativity. “Part of what makes this so special is that it is open to all students in the district, making it a truly inclusive community-building experience,” said Ms. Dangler. “For ENL students, the process of developing their characters and role-playing really helps to deepen their language learning. It also gives students a chance to express themselves and shine in a different light.”