Gary the Clown turns New Franklin into a circus
New Franklin students get life lessons in circus show
Standing on stilts, Jacob Walker, a fifth-grader at the New Franklin School in Portsmouth, catches hoops tossed by Gary the Clown during a circus performance at the school on Friday.By Jennifer Fealsjfeals@seacoastonline.comApril 23, 2011 PORTSMOUTH — If New Franklin School students pop up in a future circus act somewhere, the inspiration probably started this week.
During a weeklong residency with Rhode Island resident Gary Girouard, a.k.a. Gary the Clown, the school's fifth-graders learned entertaining circus acts. They also gained life skills Girouard hopes they will carry through all aspects of their lives.
Dressed in colorful clothes, with faces painted and energy high, the fifth-graders put on a show for their New Franklin peers and families filled with trapeze flying, juggling, spinning plates and more.
"Ringmaster" Max Moore balanced two plates spinning atop butcher-like knives while sitting on Girouard's shoulders, Thomas LaLime and others effortlessly walked on stilts and Jacob Morin caught rings on his arms and head while balancing on stilts.
"He says he's going to ditch town and join the circus," Jonah Hackett joked of her fellow performer Moore.
"It's always great to come back to this school," said Girouard, who has worked and performed with New Franklin students for 14 years. Girouard has been performing for 36 years and estimated that Friday's event was his 9,254th show.
During a weeklong residency with Rhode Island resident Gary Girouard, a.k.a. Gary the Clown, the school's fifth-graders learned entertaining circus acts. They also gained life skills Girouard hopes they will carry through all aspects of their lives.
Dressed in colorful clothes, with faces painted and energy high, the fifth-graders put on a show for their New Franklin peers and families filled with trapeze flying, juggling, spinning plates and more.
"Ringmaster" Max Moore balanced two plates spinning atop butcher-like knives while sitting on Girouard's shoulders, Thomas LaLime and others effortlessly walked on stilts and Jacob Morin caught rings on his arms and head while balancing on stilts.
"He says he's going to ditch town and join the circus," Jonah Hackett joked of her fellow performer Moore.
"It's always great to come back to this school," said Girouard, who has worked and performed with New Franklin students for 14 years. Girouard has been performing for 36 years and estimated that Friday's event was his 9,254th show.
Sadie Shore, a fifth-grader at the New Franklin School in Portsmouth, rides a miniature bicycle around the gym while balancing a plate during a circus performance at the school with Gary the Clown.He worked with the fifth-graders for eight days, funded by a grant through the Title I program. While it seemed Friday that the tricks came naturally to the group, it took much practice, hard work and teamwork, Girouard said.
"If you can use what you learned today — you brought so much joy to your family and learned respect in performing together — think of what you can do the rest of your lives," Girouard told the group following their performance.
Working with the children, and using his art form of circus performance, Girouard said his goal is to teach students trust, respect and discipline in their work.
"If you have those three things, you will be successful in life," he said.
Students said they enjoyed performing for their school and families, but added they learned things they didn't think possible through the circus activity. "He built a lot of confidence. It's OK to mess up and just act happy and have a good attitude towards things," said Sadie Shore.
The fifth-graders said they learned to work together and to trust each other.
"It was fun because we had to work together," Anna Lukacz said. "You had all the practice and then it paid off."
No comments:
Post a Comment