CES: Center Stage

By: Karyssa McCubbin, Contributing Writer

​Chance Elementary School(CES) students recently had the opportunity to showcase their music and drama skills.

 K-2 students performed their annual spring plays during the month of February. Mrs. Danelle Mathews, K-5 music teacher, directed the spring plays this year. CES has a long standing tradition of performing spring plays and this year was no exception.

February 9th was the first time kindergarten students got to perform as CES students. The play performed by the kindergarten class was Wide Mouth Frog.  Some students had specific speaking roles in the play such as monkey, alligator and elephant, whereas other students had singing parts only. The message in this play was to learn about the life cycle of a frog and the adventures of living in the jungle and that sometimes curiosity can bring trouble.

First and second-grade students both performed the play, Sweet Tarts and Candy Hearts, on February 23rd. This play had select students who read lines from poems, as well as group singing. The message of this play was to create a music concert centered around Valentine's day and sharing our love for our families.

Mathews chooses the plays based on grade level personality, the student's skill level and what time of the year they will be performing.  Practice for the plays starts about three months prior to the performance to ensure the students are ready.  “It is important for students to sing, move, be creative, practice singing as a group and perform for others and for the enjoyment of the audience listening,” said Mathews regarding why she continues to direct the spring plays at CES.

“The most enjoyable part of putting on a musical performance is when I get to see the smiles on my student's faces or perhaps their concentration and focus as they are either practicing or performing; I can see their delight and their emotions in the music and I love that,” said Mathews.