Dual Immersion Program returns to the stage and here's the skinny
N3 recently spoke with Nicolas Nelson who has been involved in the Spanish/English Dual Immersion program at Grant Public Schools since its inception a decade ago. The program is putting on their latest theatrical performance a Spanish speaking stage doubleheader on Thursday April 28th at 6pm. The event will be held at the Grant Fine Arts Center. Though he is likely knee deep in preparations for this innovative initiative we were able to corner Mr. Nelson and pose a few questions about the upcoming show as well as the S/E Immersion program itself. How long has the Spanish Drama Club been in existence and how did it come about? It started in 2018. We have a exchange teacher from Spain named Antonio Barroso. He came to us with some experience in theater (Madrid is the Broadway of Europe). We saw a need for students who finished our k-4 dual immersion program to continue practicing Spanish and the idea came up so he and I decided to try after school theater. We partnered with our after school program and FACF and it has grown every year since. What other productions have been presented? We have done the following plays: El gigante egoísta Señorita Nelson ha desaparecido El país sin nombre Buenas noches Señor Monstruo Los ModernOZ (April 28th) Who participates? How many actors? Who’s behind the scenes? Bilingual students who were or are currently enrolled in our dual immersion program. We have incorporated 2nd - 9th grade students thus far as well as a few homeschooled students. The participants are divided into two teams: actors and tech crew. The production is done in Spanish with English “supertitles” appearing on the screen above the stage. This time, we are taking advantage of help from our 4th grade music club (who will be playing ukuleles), the art club (who will be helping with some props) and involving kids from grades 2-8. Who wrote the plays? GPS staff members Marcelo Santana and Antonio Burroso However, the students give a LOT of input and the script evolves as we practice. What do the participants gain from this? The participants gain so much! They get to continue to practice Spanish language skills. They develop confidence in performing under pressure and in front of an audience. They measure, they draw, they paint, they use power tools (always popular) and they form a bond. What should the audience expect? Why should people attend? The audience should expect to laugh. Most people in our audience do not know much Spanish but they are able to follow along and we have received nothing but positive feedback. You’ve been part of the S/E Immersion program since its beginning. How do you feel it has benefitted the students involved? The benefits are pretty broad. Aside from being able to be linguistically and culturally competent within different groups of people, there is great value to learning a Latin language as much English vocabulary in subjects like sciences, medicine and law is based on Latin. Students in our dual immersion program learn to transfer language and to think about how languages work - this helps them to approach new words in any language and use what they know about roots and context to comprehend new words. There is also the whole bit about barriers between groups from very different backgrounds. Kids in our program tend to focus a very strong bond and so you see less self-segregation and cliques later on when that would otherwise be a typical behavior. On top of all of that, kids can earn HS foreign language credit in elementary school. That’s pretty cool too. Grant Fine Arts Center, Thursday, April 28th at 6pm. No te lo pierdas.
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Tips to minimize springtime damage
With warming spring temperatures right around the corner for much of the state, it’s a good time to remind everyone to help protect trails. Using muddy trails can leave ruts, uneven tire tracks and footprints, contribute to erosion and inadvertently widen trails. It’s best to avoid muddy trails altogether; however, if you do encounter muddy sections, please keep the following tips in mind to avoid widening the trails:
“Following these tips may mean a little more cleanup for shoes, tires and hooves after an outing, but I think most trail users would agree it’s worth it to ensure our trails stay in the best possible condition during this seasonal transition,” said Kristen Bennett, acting state trails coordinator for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “Plus, when trails do start to widen, it can pose safety risks to users and cause damage to surrounding wildlife habitat.” Keeping you feline from getting lost and what to do if they are
By Kristie Bulger A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not. Ernest Hemingway Right now there are over a dozen cats at Newaygo County Animal Shelter. Every one of these cats used to be someone’s pet. How do I know? Because feral or semi-feral cats act very differently from pet cats. Every one of these shelter cats probably used to live in someone’s house. If they hadn’t gotten or been put outside, these cats would still have homes. They would not be lost strays. I think that in a perfect world all cats would spend their lives in warm, loving homes. They would be inside-only cats. They would not suffer from any of the harm that befalls cats that live outside nor would they be able to inflict harm on the wild life around them. Yes, I know stories about outside cats that have lived a long time…..but those stories are very rare indeed. The best way to keep cats from getting lost is to keep them inside all the time. I understand that for some cats, especially older cats that are used to going out, it can be challenging to keep them in the house full time. Here is a list of suggestions from a friend who is very involved in recovering lost pets: * Spray bottles of water at all doors, to spray towards them if needed when opening doors. * A jar of coins at all doors, to shake and scare them when opening doors. * Baby gates at the doors can help deter them. Childproof knobs and locks so a child doesn't just open the doors and let them out. These things also keep everyone in the house mindful of the cat's location when doors are opened. But sometimes accidents happen. Contractors, visitors, small children, have all been known to let cats get out. The first thing to do is carefully search your home. Cats are masters of hiding and many a panicked owner has found their cat inside their home after hours of searching. If your cat is shy of strangers and you don’t see her/him after you have any kind of visitors, remember to search your home thoroughly. If it appears your cat has gotten outside, here are some suggestions: * Put their bed/blanket in their carrier, soiled items of the owners clothing (socks, shoes, coat) on top of the carrier, and put the carrier outside the door. When it's rainy/snowy weather, check the items often for water/ice. * Report missing to the shelter; email photos, location details, and contact information. Physically search the shelter (mainly large cities). * Notify neighbors and mail carriers. Ask neighbors to search their property; sheds, garages, etc. Also ask neighbors to review their home camera footage and keep an eye on their cameras, if they have them. * Get large bright colored posters up all over the area and a large sign in the yard near the road. * Post to Nextdoor.com, Pawboost, local lost/found pet pages, and community Facebook pages. * Cats typically stay close to home, they will hide during the day, and come out at night when it's quiet. Searches at any time are great. Go outside after Dusk, throughout the night, and before Dawn. Have a flashlight and quietly call to the kitty. Shake their toys/treats. Search under decks, porches, vehicles, tarps, bushes, up trees, and other spots where they could be trapped or hiding. * A live camera is a great tool for sightings. A live trap can be used but has to be monitored at all times. * No litter or litter box outside. Cats bury their waste to ward off other cats and predators. Putting the litter box outside will attract other cats and predators and deter the resident cat from returning home. * No food outside unless it's monitored at all times with a camera to see who is eating it.” (I’d like to thank Robin for helping me with all this recovery information) Here are links to Newaygo area lost/found FB groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/847578175294481 https://www.facebook.com/NewaygoCountyLostFoundPets https://www.facebook.com/groups/1172743782901503 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1493008454076858 Here in Newaygo County, we are very lucky to have an Animal Control that works hard to help all stray animals, including cats, to find homes. Some county shelters don’t take in cats any more because there are so many. Some places and organizations consider outside cats to be a feral invasive species. Our shelter keeps found cats for 7 days (just like dogs) and then they are put up for adoption. Always contact NCAS to see if your lost cat is there. Unlike dogs, cats have no leash laws or license requirements but it is highly recommended that you get your cat microchipped. All cats that are found and taken to the shelter are immediately scanned for a chip. Bellwether Harbor in Fremont has inexpensive microchip clinics available during the summer. The cost is only $17 for dogs and cats. Their next clinic will be June 4th. Keep an eye on their FB page for updates. Here’s the link:https://www.facebook.com/BellwetherHarbor. Here’s a link to our FB page "Friends of Newaygo County Shelter” where you can see all our available animals: https://www.facebook.com/groups/979050632140887 The adoption fee for dogs is $90. This fee includes spay/neuter, deworming, heartworm test, rabies & DHLPP shots, flea & tick treatment and license. The adoption fee for cats is $65 This fee includes spay/neuter, rabies vaccine, feline distemper combo vaccine, FIV/FELV testing, deworming and flea/tick treatment. Newaygo County Animal Shelter 78 N. Webster White Cloud, MI 49349 231-689-1867 Monday - Friday 11-1 Appointments welcome and available upon request A look at the Oscar winners
By Q. James de Laat Publisher's note: Well, that was certainly an interesting Academy Awards show. We've run articles on the Oscars before with N3 Contributor Charles Chandler riffing in years past on some of the movies nominated, Of course this was before he added avian adventures to his angling antics severely reducing his time for cinematic critique. So this year prior to the event, and the slap heard around the world, I asked my grandson who is currently pursuing a major in film studies, when he’s not doing the other college things like spending spring break in Florida, and attending 'social gatherings' to give me his view on the Oscar winners. Here is his take on who won the awards and, perhaps, who should have won. Best Picture: Coda Real Best Picture: Coda Taking the Oscars by storm this year, CODA redefined what it meant to make a film. The heartwarming tale of a girl and her love of music propelling herself into a plethora of harmonics. The cast is a delightful mix of familiar faces and fresh talent. The film deserves every last award that it received. It is a common enough story about a kid wanting more out of life than what their parents can provide. A story-type that has been replicated since the beginning of film. Though what separates it from the common story is the film’s attitude toward itself. It becomes a unique picture of disability, uniqueness, and talent. Many people were surprised when CODA won best picture over Power of the Dog, but I believe that it was much more of an artistic film. Allowing for the creativity of Sian Heder to blossom through every frame of the movie. It pours every ounce of emotion into a tall glass, filling and overfilling with the sincerity, and innocence that is the Rossi family. Every scene delivers emotional satisfaction and heartbreak, eloquently drawing the audience into every character and line of dialogue, and by the time the audience sees the credits roll it leaves them wanting more, and yet being completely satisfied. There is no doubt in my mind that CODA is the best choice to be the recipient of the Best Picture Award. Best Actor: Will Smith, King Richard Real Best Actor: Andrew Garfield Tick, Tick Boom Even after the debacle that occurred at the Oscars, the Academy gave Will Smith the award for Best Actor. Though many people believed he was a shoo-in for the award, I believe that the award should have gone to Andrew Garfield. His performance was nothing short of perfection. It highlighted the idea of a creator, and the truest form of acting. His performance brought Jonathon Larson back to life. He completely disappeared into the character, becoming Jonathan Larson completely. He invested every last ounce of ability that he had into perfecting the performance, bringing even the minute mannerisms of Larson to the screen. The vulnerability he gave tied with the obsessive nature of a creator makes every frame completely compelling. Andrew Garfield deserved to win the Oscar for his raw and transforming performance of Jonathan Larson. Best Actress: Jessica Chastain The Eyes of Tammy Faye Real Best Actress: Jessica Chastain The Eyes of Tammy Faye Jessica Chastain has been a household name since her film The Help. In her film The Eyes of Tammy Faye she transforms into Tammy Faye. Acting alongside another prominent actor with Andrew Garfield, she truly becomes Tammy Faye. She gives a performance that cultivates the emotional and faith-driven life of Tammy Faye. She gives responses and mannerisms that perfectly capture the essence of Tammy Faye’s televangelist empire. With every last second detailing the rise, corruption, and eventual fall of her fame, there was no doubt that Jessica Chastain deserves this award more than anyone this year. Best Director: Jane Campion Power of the Dog Real Best Director: Kenneth Branagh, Belfast Though the Power of the Dog is a powerful film, Kenneth Branagh blows it away with his artistic semi-biographical film about his childhood. It was a beautiful film about family, and the trials of war. It documents the family in the Northern Ireland capital, as they deal with the outside world. The film is reminiscent of movies from the golden age of cinema. The story moves quickly and gives you a vulnerable look at hope and bleakness connected through the mind of a child. Kenneth Branagh has an artistic touch that highlights his sense of detail to every specific point. Even from his past work with films like Murder on the Orient Express, Othello, and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein the detail was unprecedented. This film was no exception. It was an eloquent film that was truly a piece of art. Kenneth Branagh was truly putting everything he had into Belfast giving us one of the best movies of all time. GRS Returns to the Dogwood.
The Grand Rapids Symphony returns to the Dogwood Center on Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. for a sure to be incredible performance! Join us and you will experience a world-class orchestra performing for you live at the Dogwood! The evening's performance will be conducted by guest conductor Nicholas Hersh, and will feature Beethoven's Creatures of Prometheus, Bizet's Suite No. 1 from Carmen, Valerie Coleman's Seven O'clock Shout - a salute to healthcare heroes, James P. Johnson's Charleston, and Stravinsky's Suite from The Firebird. The Grand Rapids Symphony was officially organized in 1930 and is recognized as one of America’s leading regional orchestras. The Grand Rapids Symphony presents more than 400 performances each year, touching the lives of some 200,000. Nearly half of those who benefit are students, senior citizens and people with disabilities reached through extensive education and community service programs. Their mission is “to share great music that moves the human soul”…..and that is what they will be doing right here in Newaygo County! This program is funded in part by the Fremont Area Community Foundation. Tickets are $17.50 for adults, $5 children 18 and under and seating is reserved. Mask wearing is welcome for this performance, but not required. Tickets are available online at www.dogwoodcenter.com, at the Dogwood Box Office, or at NCCA-Artsplace in downtown Fremont, or make it easy and click here! The Dogwood Center Box Office is open Tuesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. For information, phone 231.924.8885. |
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