Pandemic Times
COVID-19 2020-2021 Pandemic
In 2020 we went off for March Break and COVID cases rose to the point where the decision was made to move to online schooling. We never imagined we would not return for the rest of 2020!
Life vastly changed after that March Break. During the 2020-2021 school year we moved back and forth between in-person and online schooling.
Although life has been difficult, we have all tried to keep a sense of normalcy while adapting to constant change!
Change has moved us in new directions artistically. We would like to show some of that to you here.
Sharing Assemblies 2020-2021
Sharing Assemblies moved from in-person performances to streamed presentations. You can see entire Sharing Assemblies with the links below:
Drama
In January of 2021 we would have presented our Shakespeare performance. For all of January though we were at home with online learning. We had to look for a new way to present our show.
Dance
Although we missed having the audience there, new performance opportunities presented themselves! This dance was choreographed to reflect the dancers' feelings about the pandemic and their sense of isolation. The music was composed and performed by the Grade 6 winds class.
Strings
Every Grade 5 strings class since Pearson became an arts school over 30 years ago has performed "Twinkle, Twinkle" as their first piece. A moment usually shared with their parents in concert. Although parents were not in the room, the tradition still continued!
Winds
Playing wind instruments at school were not allowed, so classes were held after school. Every night a different instrument section of the ensemble learned their part through video meetings. Eventually each student recorded their own part and sent it in so a compilation video could be produced. A tremendous amount of work for both student and teacher so that our wind program could keep going!
Keyboard
In Sharing Assemblies parents would see a selection of pieces performed by the students. With the move to streamed Sharing Assemblies you now have a chance to see students perform in the keyboard lab!
Vocal
Throughout the pandemic singing at school also was not allowed. We had an opportunity to record and share pieces using an online recording studio and also to perform through solo vocal videos presented to our class.
Visual Art
Usually parents have the opportunity at various points in the year to wander through the school and see the amazing amount of visual art that is up on the walls. That opportunity was not available, because no visitors were allowed in the school. Visual Art has now been included in our Sharing Assemblies. At least a small portion of what is displayed at the school can be viewed.
Instrumental Music 2020
At the end of the 2019-2020 school year students from all grades were able to join together for this heart-felt expression of what had been lost in the last part of their school year.
2020 Grad Celebration
Graduation was not what the students had expected. A "Drive-In" grad was what was allowed. Here is their celebration.
Mr. Cairns also produced a special version of this video with an original song called "A Better Time."