Wednesday, December 4, 2002
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Wednesday, December 4, 2002 |
POKE takes important message to Fayette's elementary studentsFlat Rock Middle students are getting ready to POKE kindness at area elementary schools. POKE (Puppets of Kindness Education) is a theatrical production company that has been formed by Flat Rock's peer helpers, better known as Eagle Wings, as a community service project to serve the county's elementary schools. For the last nine weeks, 18 students in the Eagle Wings program have been busy designing sets, rehearsing their parts and learning how to operate stringed puppets. The shows produced by the group are designed to entertain elementary students, make them laugh, and in the process, learn a valuable lesson. The theme of their present production is using kind words to one another. A mini-grant from the National SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) organization as well as funding from the Fayette County Community School Program and Flat Rock Middle allows POKE to offer performances free of charge. Starting this month, the students will be taking their show on the road to Fayette's elementary schools. The students have already completed two preview shows and have compiled a file full of schools that want to book performances. The idea for the puppet show was the brainchild of Flat Rock counselor Sue McEwan, who is also serving as POKE's advisor. Each year McEwan has a group of mentors who work weekly with students at Robert J. Burch Elementary. Last year she arranged for a puppet show to be performed at the elementary school as an activity for the mentors and their students. After seeing the show, it suddenly dawned on her that her students could do something similar. "I thought to myself that we could do this. Our schools are always wanting to bring in shows but our budgets just don't allow it," said McEwan. "Puppet shows are especially expensive but if we were to form our own company, then the schools could have these type of performances." McEwan immediately went to work writing the company's first 30-minute production and selected students from the school's Eagle Wings program to form the cast. The students were divided into committees and each one was responsible for a particular portion of the program. Derrick Pugh came up with the company's name, Kiah Whitfield designed the logo and Deena Suarez drew the backdrop. Essentially the only cost to the school to form the production company was the purchase of the puppets. Word of POKE's creation has quickly spread throughout the state among other peer helper groups. The school's innovative community service idea has landed it an invitation to give a special performance at the Georgia Peer Helpers Association later this year. Due to time constraints of the students, POKE is currently serving only elementary schools within the Fayette County School System. For more information, or to book a performance, contact McEwan at Flat Rock Midddle, 770-969-2830, ext. 230.
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