Family Newsletter

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• • Jefferson Students Prepare for Disney’s Frozen Kids Through National Grant Program

    
    Students at Jefferson Elementary are getting ready to take the stage in a big way this spring.
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    Students at Jefferson Elementary are getting ready to take the stage in a big way this spring. Thanks to a national grant through Disney’s Stage Connect program, Jefferson has been selected as one of just 71 public elementary schools in the United States to participate in the initiative.

     

    The opportunity began when Jefferson teacher Rachel Danay applied for the grant last July. The application process included a written submission, video introductions, and a vision for how the program could come to life at Jefferson. As part of the application, schools were required to form a four-adult leadership team to guide the production.

     

    The team supporting the program includes Rachel Danay and Maeve Dose from Jefferson Elementary, along with Karter Mueller and Asher Stokes from Jackson Elementary.

     

    Disney’s Stage Connect program is part of the larger Disney Musicals in Schools initiative and provides three years of support for participating schools. Through the grant, Jefferson educators received training through online modules and coaching from a Disney Teaching Artist via Zoom.

     

    The grant also included a full production “show kit,” which provides the script, music tracks, and licensing rights to perform the show.

     

    For their first production, the Jefferson team selected Disney’s Frozen Kids, a 30-minute adaptation of the popular musical designed specifically for elementary school performers.

     

    The program was created to give students the opportunity to experience theater in a supportive and inclusive environment. Any Jefferson student in grades 3–5 who wanted to participate was able to join the after-school theater club at no cost, ensuring that every interested student had the opportunity to be involved.

     

    More than 35 students are currently participating, rehearsing twice a week after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

     

    To help support students during rehearsals, Chartwells provides an after-school meal for every participating student.

     

    The Jefferson cast will bring their production of Frozen Kids to the stage on:

     

    Thursday, May 28
    4:00 p.m.
    Jefferson Elementary School

     

    For Rachel Danay, who has a background in youth theater, the program is about giving students the chance to explore their interests and discover new talents.

     

    “This opportunity allows our students to experience theater in a way many of them might not otherwise have access to,” Danay shared. “So many of our students were excited about the idea of performing, and it’s been wonderful to see them grow in confidence and teamwork during rehearsals.”

     

    With months of rehearsals ahead, the Jefferson cast is already hard at work preparing to bring the story of Frozen to life for their school community.

    
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