Jane's Pocket Change: V.I.R.C.
This past Sunday evening the entire boarding community and I were once again treated to the joy, laughter, and slight irreverence of “Fractured Fairy Tales,” a CSW tradition that goes back many years.
As a culminating activity of our first All-Boarders Weekend of the year, each dorm is asked to present a short performance or skit based on the following guidelines:
- Based on a fairy tale, nursery rhyme, or fable.
(By convention, Disney movies have become fair game.) - Everyone in dorm must participate.
- Includes a song in which everyone participates.
- Includes a dance in which everyone participates.
- Incorporates dorm parents and associates in the skit.
Each year a couple of special aspects are added. This year the students had to incorporate a Finsta or Snapchat interaction as a significant plot point and include the word "gerrymandering" with ease.
This past Sunday evening the entire boarding community and I were once again treated to the joy, laughter, and slight irreverence of “Fractured Fairy Tales,” a CSW tradition that goes back many years.
As a culminating activity of our first All-Boarders Weekend of the year, each dorm is asked to present a short performance or skit based on the following guidelines:
- Based on a fairy tale, nursery rhyme, or fable.
(By convention, Disney movies have become fair game.) - Everyone in dorm must participate.
- Includes a song in which everyone participates.
- Includes a dance in which everyone participates.
- Incorporates dorm parents and associates in the skit.
Each year a couple of special aspects are added. This year the students had to incorporate a Finsta or Snapchat interaction as a significant plot point and include the word "gerrymandering" with ease.
The resulting performances were awesome. Aleph’s version of “The Lion King” included a Mayweather versus McGregor fight; the Barn’s “Beauty and the Beast” included students being “trapped in Trap.” Trapelo’s “Jordan, the Last Social Justice Warrior” contained some of the most impressive choreography as Lord Jane Moulding took on Jordan in his quest for re-instatement. And the dancing troupe in Warren’s “Rapunzel” was stellar. All the groups’ use of gerrymandering was spot on—nice to see that word used with ease by teenagers!
At the beginning of the evening, Dean of Student Life Aaron Hirsch showed the audience the stick that would be awarded to the winning dorm. The stick was made by Andrew Murdock ’08 and it has the four initials V.I.R.C. carved on it. These initials – signaling the key words of Voice, Integrity, Respect, and Community – are truly what this annual event is about. These words also resonated with the entire school on Monday, September 11, when we gathered to watch a brief film about the 9/11 memorial and shared time for reflection about what the day means in the lives of our students.
A place to work, play, and laugh together and a place to process hard thoughts. This is CSW at our best – this is our V.I.R.C.
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.