Illusions in Three One-Act Plays

The GWCS spring theatre production was named after a famous quote by Voltaire, “Illusion is the first of all pleasures.”  This production got it’s name for the common thread that the three one acts shared: None of them was rooted in reality!

Actor’s Nightmare

by Christopher Durang.

In the Actor’s Nightmare by Christopher Durang, an accountant named George (or Stanley) finds himself trapped in a nightmare, or perhaps an alternate reality, and cannot force himself to wake-up.  George (played by Evan) finds himself surrounded by an assortment of odd characters (played by Jay, Lauren, Dakota, Luther and Alex) who seem frustrated that he doesn’t know his lines, and then angered because he cannot accept his fate.  In the end, he is finally set free by the executioner’s blade (they say you can’t dream your own death…).

Variations on the Death of Trotsky

by David Ives

The second act was Variations on the Death of Trotsky by David Ives.  This play was also not tied to reality in that it is revealed to be a random collection of thoughts being generated by Trotsky’s brain as he lies dying in a Hospital in Mexico City.  Trotsky (played by Luther) and Mrs. Trotsky (played by Dakota) share many moments from the end of their days, some funny, some sad, some directed especially at the flowers in the garden.  The gardener, a Spanish communist named Ramon (played by Evan) haunts Trotsky in his fading memories and jumbled thoughts.  It’s not easy to organize your thoughts with a mountain climber’s axe buried in your skull!!

Sure Thing

by David Ives

In the third act, Sure Thing by David Ives, Bill (played by Xavier) and Betty (played by Nadia) meet in a local gathering place and get acquainted.  They stumble through some clumsy small talk trying to find a meaningful connection.  Luckily for them, every time a ‘deal breaker’ is muttered by either character, a bell (played by Ms. N.O.) rings and the characters receive a reprieve and the blunder is erased and the characters go back to their charming selves!  If the bell lasts long enough, they might just hit it off.  It’s all in the timing!

After three delays in scheduling, changing plays several times, and gaining and losing cast members early and late in the process, what eventually made it to the stage might have been the funniest hour of comedy that the GWCS Players have ever produced.  Students, staffs, and alumni raved about the transformative fun that was had by all.  Thanks to all the actors: Evan, Dakota, Luther, Lauren, Alex, Xavier, and Nadia and to our hard working backstage crew-of-two: Vinni and Gabby. 

It's not too late to sign-up for the fall show coming in December!

Spring Theatre Season: ILLUSIONS. WHAT A PLEASURE…

 

GW Community School
Theatre ~ Illusions in Three Acts
May 18 & 19, 2022
Directors: Richard Goldie
& Maria Nunez-Oliver

GW-Palooza 2022

Wednesday, May 18, 2022, was the 2nd annual GW-Palooza. It was an exuberant day filled with warm sunshine, fun field-games, coloring, face painting, yummy food tuck treats, the best part… adorable ANIMALS! In addition to our families, we invited a bunch of furry friends to spend the day with us. Squeals on Wheels, an educational, interactive and award-winning miniature mobile petting zoo, joined our community and educated us about the animal breeds, traits, care and proper handling. We spent the afternoon petting a piglet, hedgehog, goat, chicken, ducks, guinea pigs, bunnies, and ALPACAS! The fluffiness and cuteness was almost too much to handle! Laughs, furry snuggles, and four-legged friends were made. Thanks to Squeals on Wheels, our dopamine and serotonin levels were bubbling over. Special thanks to two of our favorite food truck vendors: Gourmet Tater Tots by Two Smooth Dudes and C&C Frozen Treats.

GW-Palooza was a success that can’t quite be put into words, but here are the pictures to prove it!

GW Community School
GW-Palooza 2022
Julia Kohler
May 18, 2022

Springtime in Staunton

American Shakespeare CenteR’S
Blackfriars Playhouse

April 29 - May 1, 2022

Shakespeare, then lunch.  Shakespeare, then dinner. Shakespeare, then ice cream.  What’s not to like?  We even started a new tradition during this (our twelfth annual) trip to Staunton: Cheesecake at the Clocktower Eats & Sweets restaurant on Saturday night!

We had a combat-staging seminar on Friday afternoon.  We followed that with dinner at the super-scrumptious Baja Bean on Beverly.  Then we took-in a lecture on herbalism which included many of the drugs used in Shakespeare’s plays (including the unlikelihood that any of them would have done what the Bard suggested they would have done on stage)!  Then a leisurely walk through town for fresh made gelato at the Split Banana!  Super fun, super delicious!


CAPTIVATED BY two shows, a workshop, AND a lecture

Saturday started with breakfast at the Clocktower Eats & Sweets Restaurant.  Then we attended the two amazing shows, and what a contrast:  Laughing so hard at the Comedy of Errors, and weeping so hard during Romeo and Juliet!  The actors, as always, were amazing!  They performed both shows with aplomb and performed pop songs (related to the themes of the plays) before the shows and during intermission.  They were spectacular!  Between the shows we had a fine-dining experience at the Mill Street Grill.  Saturday ended with another trip to the Clocktower and their exquisite bakery section!  Mostly we stuck with the flavored cheesecakes, but pies and cakes and cream-filled cannoli were not in short supply!

enjoying the town & RESTAURANTS of staunton, va

Sunday (as if that were not enough) many of us opted-in for the second breakfast and then we headed to the east side of town and the Frontier Culture Museum.  We spent the rest of the day watching the sheering of sheep (with 18th century technology—poor sheep!), petting pigs and goats and cows, and marveling at the conditions that frontier people were able to survive in and thrive in throughout many centuries gone by.  The one-room schoolhouse was especially awe-inspiring!

We grabbed some lunch (not from Cracker Barrel) and got back on the highway.   Two hours later we were back in Springfield.  Good trip.  Good times.  Good chance we will be going again in November!

exploring the frontier Culture Museum

2022 Spring GWCS Staunton Shakespeare Trip Itinerary

GW Community School
Spring Staunton Shakespeare Trip
Richard Goldie
5.1.2022

Guest Speaker: Neuroscience

A pre-medical student focusing on pediatric neurology with laboratory experience in brain chemisty.

Have you ever wondered which part of your brain is responsible for a certain function, or how your brain can talk to all of the other parts of the body? How about what you think of when you hear the words epilepsy or concussion? Or maybe you have been curious about what happens during brain surgery? The students at GWCS were fortunate to learn the answers to all these questions and more during a presentation held by Ms. Gabby Block, an aspiring pediatric neurologist. Ms. Block went over the major areas of the brain and pointed out unique areas such as where we process signals for language or our special senses, as well where our thought processing and personality happen in the brain (This section is not fully developed until the early 20’s!). Ms. Block also detailed the mechanisms of medications on the brain which were discussed and visually presented for students in a schematic. The various types of seizures and concussions were discussed, as well as what could possibly cause them or affect their treatment. The different reasons for brain surgery were brought up as well, with an interesting discussion on what happens when a patient must be awake for their procedure. Ms. Block lastly shared what the journey to becoming a doctor looks like, as well as all the other amazing and necessary jobs in the medical field. Students walked away from the experience knowing more about the brain and brain health, and hopefully feel inspired to study medicine themselves!

About Ms. Block: Currently, Ms. Block is working as a home-health aid before she continues to medical school, otherwise she is also a full-time college student at George Mason University and is majoring in Neuroscience with a concentration in Bio-psychology. In terms of a goal, she is focusing her studies on pediatric neurological disorders. Ms. Block is currently working in a lab surrounding the brain and synaptic responses. Ms. Block and Mr. Corrigan worked together in the Organic Chemistry Lab at GMU.

We value and appreciate our connections ~ personal, professional and neurological.

GW Community School
Guest Speaker: Ms. Gabby Block
Topic: Neuroscience
4.28.2022
Alex Corrigan

Belize? Yes Please!

Over our recent Spring Break, a group of GWCS students and I, Senor Torres, had the opportunity to take an EF Educational Tour to Belize. The week was so jam-packed with things to see, learn, and do that the easiest way to share our experience is to mention our key activities and experiences and share photos. So, here goes…

This young Central American country awed us with its diverse ecosystem and wildlife. It was quite interesting to learn more about the history, culture and different languages that are spoken in Belize, as well as discovering the mysteries of the Maya as we visited various ruins.  It was exhilarating to zipline through lush jungles, and snorkel in the crystal-clear Caribbean waters where we mingled with the marine life. We took a boat to the New River Lagoon "Indiana Jones" style to see the

Lamanai ruins, named after the Mayan ruler Lord Smoking Shell, who believed he was a descendant of the crocodile spirit. The name "Lamanai" means "submerged crocodile" and because of this, one comes across a number of crocodile carvings on the site, and we even spotted some real crocodiles in the lagoon (with the help of Jack's excellent eyesight ). It was quite an experience for us to see three large pyramids, open plazas, temples, and an outdoor sports court. We also visited one of the oldest sugar mills in Belize. We even took a guided jungle hike in the Cayo region where seasoned Belizean bushmen taught us jungle "survival" skills. Everybody did a great job learning these new skills, especially Frankie, who volunteered to help demonstrate some of them when asked. We achieved inner peace floating in tubes down a river through hidden caves from the Mayan era, enjoying the tropical vegetation and wildlife that was around us. One of our favorite activities was ziplining through the broadleaf rainforest.

The cherry on the cake was crossing over a beautiful river at the end of the zipline route. Participating in the cultural exchange with a local community was amazing. We appreciated the chance to learn more about the Belizean people, their culture, and how welcoming they are. We planted a sacred tree as a symbol of our friendship between the locals and our school. Michael did a great job representing our community in this ceremony. We saw a lot of native animals in the wild on this trip and also in the zoo that we visited. It was really cool to see and hear howler monkeys in the wild, and it was great to see tapirs, tropical birds, and of course the famous jaguar in the zoo. Jack had the opportunity to meet and feed the jaguar--an experience that I don't think he will ever forget! Snorkeling was magical. While we knew that we would see some kind of marine life, we definitely didn't expect a sea turtle trying to hug us!  We had to swim away quickly since they had told us to maintain a certain distance from the animals. While snorkeling, we also saw sting rays, sharks, tropical fish, and a coral garden. The barrier reef in Belize was just amazing.

We returned home from this trip with our minds full of the rich experiences we accumulated while in contact with the warm welcoming culture of this young country with ancient roots. You gotta "Belize it" when we say that we can't wait to return to this small country with a big heart.

GW Community School
Belize, Yes Please!
Alejandro Torres
April 9, 2022

The Day the World Ended

Reading a book about the day the world ended at the end of third quarter inspired Ms. Warden’s fifth and sixth period classes to have an “end of the world” party. Kind of a PG-rated Burning Man, dubbed Smoldering Pigeon by sophomore Evan K. Light sabers to lizards! Pizza to papayas! Arson to arm wrestling, (well, in actuality, it was a small, well-contained fire in the fire pit, but we adore alliteration here). A most excellent time was had by all!

What book had they read? Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

GW Community School
The End of the World
Alexa Warden
March 31, 2022

Lake Accotink Restoration Project

COYOTES TO THE RESCUE!

“The Invasive Management Area (IMA) program is a volunteer-led pilot project of the Fairfax County Park Authority to reduce invasive alien plants and our parklands.”

Friends of Accotink Creek, Klub Kudzu

GWCS students, and dog Sammy, arrived at Lake Accotink Park in Springfield, Virginia early Saturday morning on March 19, 2022. Beverly, a Fairfax Master Naturalist and Site Director, greeted us and taught us why invasive species are an issue, how they came to these and similar woods, and how to properly remove the weeds. Fairfax County Park Authority came prepared! They provided all the volunteers with gloves, shovels, clippers, bags, as well as poison ivy and insect repellents! We were shown different areas of the park that needed attention and we got right to work. We dug, clipped, and pulled invasive weeds such as English Ivy, Honeysuckle, and Kudzu Tuber. After our hard work we were treated to hot chocolate, snacks, and an opportunity to mingle with fellow volunteers. It was an exuberating experience with laughs, fresh air, citing of animals (we saw a healthy beautiful fox trot across the field), and a great workout! I highly recommend this opportunity- thank you IMA for putting on a great event! 

GW Community School
Lake Accotink Restoration Project
Julia Kohler
March 19, 2022

NY Times Student Podcast Contest Prep

Guest Speaker, ROGER Muntu, Enhances & Excites Learning as GWCS Students Prepare for the NY Times Podcast Contest

Guest Speakers at GWCS are always welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated as the benefit they offer to our students’ education is far-reaching. Most recently (March 3, 2022), the GWCS fifth and sixth period English students enjoyed the expertise and energy of special guest speaker, Roger Muntu. Mr. Muntu is actually a former GWCS French teacher who now works as an International Broadcast Journalist for Voice of America. Mr. Muntu is a popular radio and television personality at VOA: The“RM Show”radio program and “Vous et Nous” TV program. Most importantly, Mr. Muntu is a GWCS Coyote!

Mr. Muntu has remained an active and supportive friend of GWCS in so many ways, but the purpose of this visit was to discuss the most recent project with Ms. Warden’s 5th and 6th period English classes which is to create a podcast. Whether individually or in a group, each student has been tasked with writing, recording, and editing a podcast of their own as part of the New York Times Annual Student Podcast Contest. These podcasts must have a clear beginning, middle, and end, and cannot be longer than 5 minutes. Students are welcome to add copyright-free music to include throughout their project if they wish. In regards to the podcast’s content, the students have the autonomy to select and navigate any school-appropriate subject matter of their choosing--possibilities for topic and format are nearly endless. In class, they have covered the complete production timeline of what it takes to create, record, and produce a podcast, as well as beginning research and discussing narrative and bias in media. They have the remainder of this week to polish their scripts, record, and edit in class.

To take their learning on these topics to a relatable and entertaining level, students had the opportunity to ask Mr. Muntu questions about effective storytelling, editing software, and all the cool celebrities he’s met. Students left feeling excited and ready to create their own podcasts. We’re so excited to see what they produce and submit to the New York Times for review! Stay tuned.

GW Community School
NY Times Student Podcast Contest Prep
Guest Speaker: Roger Muntu
3.3.2022

Long Branch Stream Valley Clean Up

For the past four years, GWCS science teacher, Ms. Julia Kohler, has organized so many Stream Cleanup community service events where students not only find themselves immersed in do-gooder feelings but they actually make an immediate and long-term impact on our local waterways. Through community service events like this, GWCS students learn that they can make a difference! In addition to the obvious need to get pollutants out of our water, it has been proven that the more we clean up the less likely people are to litter! On Monday, February 28, 2022 a group of GWCS Coyotes scoured the Long Branch Stream Valley Trail, scooped up bottles, plastic bags, newspapers, a For Sale sign, and lots of other trash, and — once again — they made a difference. For their time and efforts, the students not only got to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors but also received an hour of Community Service towards the 30 that GWCS requires per year. 

Keep an eye on the WYNK Newsletter and the GWCS Online Calendar to see when and where you can get involved next! Stream Cleanups are just one type of community service event offered at GWCS.

GW Community School
Long Branch Stream Valley Clean Up
February 28, 2022

Pig Heart Dissections

When thinking about dissections in high school, we usually think about dissecting a frog. At GWCS however, our students get to dissect pig hearts. A pig heart is much larger than a human heart, but very similar in structure making it easier to study. Recent medical technology has even allowed a pig heart to be successfully transplanted into a human! (read more) Dissections are performed to enhance understanding of anatomy in a hands-on setting. By taking the lesson out of a 2-D diagram and providing a real organ for students to study, they gain a greater appreciation for the complexity of organ systems in the body. This lab also gives our students a chance to develop laboratory skills that they may utilize in their future studies and potentially cultivate an interest in pursuing a career in science.

Although a dissection can be an intimidating experience at first, all of our students were excited to explore the pig hearts! As one of our students said, “I can’t believe there is one of these beating inside me”. Each student was able handle the heart and explore every pathway within it. Even though our students had been studying the cardiovascular system, many of our students were surprised at what the heart actually looked like. Throughout our lab, our students had so many unexpected learning experiences and revelations.

“I didn’t think the chambers would be so small.”- Gabby

“The heart felt much tougher than I thought it would.”- Jay

“It’s so cool how this vessel feels just like rubber.”- Brody

“I didn’t expect there to be so much detail inside.”- Alex

Pig Heart Dissections
GWCS Science Lab
Biology & Anatomy & Physiology Classes
Alex Corrigan
2.15.2022

Fill That Van - Food Drive

Beginning in the early 2000’s, there was a reality TV show called ‘Extreme Makeover - Home Edition’ where they would reveal the new and improved home by shouting ‘move that bus’ which was blocking the view of the home. GWCS has a tradition that tops that reality show and our slogan is ‘FILL THAT VAN’. Beginning in November and continuing through the winter holidays, GWCS students bring in food donations with the goal of filling the school van. On Monday, February 7th, 2022 the school van was filled with 484 pounds of food and delivered to Food for Others which is a local organization that distributes food to families who are struggling to make ends meet so they will not have to choose between spending money for food, or on other basic needs such as housing and healthcare. If you are looking for a way to contribute to your community, in addition to accepting food and financial donations — Food for Others offers many different volunteer opportunities and events: https://foodforothers.org/volunteer-individual/

Thank you to all of our Coyote families for their generous donations to our 2021-2022 food drive. Community Service is an integral expectation of all GWCS students and COVID-19 has made volunteering a little more challenging. This year’s food drive was certainly an opportunity for our little community to recognize that although the last few years have been a challenge, we do have food on our tables and we were so happy to provide food for others.

GW Community School
Fill That Van - Food Drive
Ms. Julia Kohler
Mr. Richard Goldie
2.7.2022

No Booing Shakespeare

On December 15th, after hours, days, weeks, months of rehearsal and a complete transformation of the cafe into a Black Box theatre, parents, students, staff, and other community members of GWCS took their seats as the lights went up on opening night of I Hate Shakespeare.

Sitting as inconspicuous as possible, in a seat he had specifically chosen for being in the last row, Dean of Students Mr. Mallonee watched eagerly. Next to him sat Jay, a junior at GWCS. He heard Jay boo.

Hush! He turned and scolded Jay. Jay booed again.

Little did Mr. Mallonee know, Jay was playing the role of "Unhappy Person In Audience", a plant and a setup to the beginning of the play, setting its farcical tone of sketch comedy intermingled with actual Shakespearean material. A cow, pies in faces, Macbeth (ouch!), everyone dying in Hamlet - what isn't to love? See some of the highlights from the show below!

I Hate Shakespeare Dress Rehearsal Photos ~12.13.2021

GW Community School
No Booing Shakespeare
Maria Nunez-Oliver
1.13.2022