Movies!

I thought that I would take a moment to rehash the story of our junior high movie project. It began with a warm-up exercise that the kids did in preparation for reading excerpts from the story "Flowers For Algernon." For those unfamiliar with the story, it is a science fiction piece from the 1960's involving an adult man who is mentally retarded, in the parlance of the time. He agrees to undergo an experimental surgery in the hopes of becoming smart like other people. The result of the surgery is that he becomes a genius with an I.Q. in excess of 200, but only for a very brief period of time. In the meantime, he finds that the changes that come as a result of the surgery are a mixed blessing. By the end of the story, he is quickly reverting to his pre-surgery state, with a dim awareness of the fact that he once was "smart."

The warm-up asked kids to imagine that they could have a radically life-changing surgery, what it might be, and whether they thought that it could have any consequences other than positive ones. In response, one boy wrote a story about a boy (kind of like him) who wanted to have an operation that would make him tall. He was tired of being pushed around by bigger kids. He decides to work to raise the money, as it is very expensive...to see what happens to our hero, you can watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQlxkf6z8Zk&feature=youtu.be
There is also a link from my Facebook page, for friends.

Making the movie was possible due to the gracious help of many people, and it is hard to know where to start first. Our principal was kind enough to request a return visit from Jack Dalton and Stephen Blanchett, who enjoyed the story enough to be interested in making it into a video. My fellow staff members here were kind enough to share the fellas, especially Jack, who worked feverishly to edit and score the piece. My wife was generous in her help. Most of all, none of this could have happened without the hard work and imagination of my 7th and 8th grade students, all of whom made important contributions, both in front of and behind the cameras. They blocked the story into scenes, prepared locations, did second unit shooting, and also served as director and cinematographer. They did a wonderful job, and they were applauded for their efforts by the student body yesterday, when the film got its premiere.

I believe that all had a good time, and it served as the penultimate event for our cultural week. The finale involved Yup'ik dancing on the part of the entire school, including many of the staff members (yes, both my wife and I were dancing), and even my mother-in-law. I thought that the week went very well and was the most pleasant of the cultural weeks that I have spent here.

Now it is Saturday afternoon, and the ladies have apparently frosted the Pascha bread and taken it to the church. Soon it will be time to get the important pre-vigil nap, so that we can make it past midnight. Tomorrow will mark not one but two Easter feasts. My lesson plans are done (yesterday), and I can enjoy a leisurely weekend. We have no school with kids until Wednesday due to the holiday and the final in-service, and then it will be four weeks to go until summer vacation is upon us again...ah, summer...I can almost feel it some days....