Notes & Accolades

Setting the STAGE For She Kills Monsters 

By Brynn Dilley and Issy Pawsey

Each school year, Sturgis Theatre Arts Guild of Entertainers (STAGE) performs a fall play or musical. This production is combined between both East and West campuses, and this year, the selected play is She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen. She Kills Monsters is a play set in the 1990s, where Agnes Evans embarks on a journey into her late sister’s Dungeons and Dragons module. In doing so, Agnes learns more about her sister and grieves her death. 

As of September, East and West students are meeting every Monday and Thursday for rehearsal. The cast has begun blocking exciting fight scenes one minute and rehearsing heart wrenching moments the next minute. In exploring the scenes of She Kills Monsters, the cast has learned how to create a community–both acting as their characters and themselves. Directed by Ms. Botsford and Ms. Young, with the help of stage managers Isabel Cavicchi and Tate Laurie, the cast have made great progress in learning their lines and blocking each scene. As Ms. Young said, “it’s been really rewarding to know that the students are just as invested as we are as directors!”

In addition to the cast, the production crew has also been working diligently on their respective tasks. In addition to set, props, costumes, and lighting, She Kills Monsters would not be complete without a puppets crew: “The puppets that have been invented and designed blow my mind,” says Production Crew Director Mr. D’Innocenzo. Each group has been working hard and has made progress in executing their own and the director’s visions for the show. Ceci Palanza, the Production Crew Manager, has been guiding the designers and crew members to successfully underscore this production. 

While She Kills Monsters is not a musical, there will be a live band accompanying the production on stage. Directed by Mr. Magnant, the band has begun to learn 90’s classic tunes, such as the Friends Theme Song. In addition, the band is composing their own score to underscore the scenes on stage. Their hard work during rehearsals will add dimension and liveliness to She Kills Monsters. 

STAGE will be performing She Kills Monsters at the Tilden Arts Center in Cape Cod Community College December 1st at 7 pm, December 2nd at 2 pm and 7 pm, and December 3rd at 2 pm. Visit the Sturgis Charter School Website and @stageast and @stagewest on Instagram for more information on our rehearsals and ticket sales. 

“The audience is in for a treat,” says Ms. Botsford! 

New Student Orientation (East Student Council)

East Student Council hosted a really successful new student orientation on Saturday, August 26th. All incoming 9th graders and new 10th grade students were invited to get more familiar with the school building, get to know their classmates, and start to learn about the Sturgis culture before their first day of school. With building tours, fun games, an upperclass student panel, and a pizza social, students were welcomed into the Sturgis community and encouraged to make connections before the first day of school. One 9th grade student shared this about their orientation experience in a grade 9 English class reflection:

“Funny enough I made a lot of friends just from Freshman Orientation and even though I didn’t have classes with some of them we somehow stuck together and got closer. I remember feeling like I belonged even before stepping through the doors and it was the first time I wasn’t anxious at all when coming to school.”

West New Student Orientation (Pagenkopf - West StuGov Advisor)

West StuGov hosted our annual New Student Orientation on Saturday Aug 26th for all incoming students.  A total of 92 new students were led on a series of ice-breakers, Q & A sessions, and team-building activities by 23 current West students.  The goal is to help ease that "First Day at a new school" nervousness and anxiety frequently felt by incoming students.  The activity also reinforces that our current students have a responsibility to welcome, assist and lead our new students as they join our community.  The event was a huge success due to the efforts of our StuGov student leaders who planned and ran the entire event!  At the end of the events, everyone celebrated with a pizza lunch!

SL Psychology: East and West (McInerney and Locascio)

In Psychology we just finished learning about how psychologists conduct research and have moved on to understanding how our biology can influence our behavior. We will look at neurotransmitters (such as Serotonin and Dopamine) and hormones (like Cortisol and Adrenaline) as well as brain structure and localization (the idea that particular areas of the brain are responsible for specific behavior). We started the unit by making “brain hats”. As the students colored in the various lobes and structures of the brain, they learned about where specific behaviors could be localized.