A packed house of Strelitz International Academy parents watched their children perform on stage, many for the first time, on Thursday, March 24. After two years of COVID mitigations, including no family programs or performances, SIA’s Evening of the Arts: How We Express Ourselves was everything the school’s families have anticipated. The proud parents were smiling from ear to ear—some even cried tears of joy.
“Originally scheduled for February 17, we decided to postpone the show until March in the hopes that COVID cases would go down, and we could plan for an in-person student showcase,” says Janet Jenkins, director of the Primary Years. “Parents have been longing for in-person events, and we wanted to give our students the spotlight to show off all that they have been learning.”
The evening kicked off with a string performance, showcasing SIA’s xylo-string ensemble, which included SIA violinists, cellists, and percussionists. SIA students begin violin lessons in kindergarten and have the opportunity to add percussion instruments in second grade. The students were excited to show off their new skills.
This was also the first Evening of the Arts since the school’s rebranding as the Strelitz International Academy. The show was a wonderful celebration of all the school’s unique aspects. The program opened with the EY4 classes singing, One Small Voice. Other songs included Kindergarten’s Thankful Song, second grade’s Lean on Me, third grade’s ABC and first grade’s It’s a Small World After All celebrating SIA’s international representation and emphasis on global learning. Fourth grade performed the prayers Adon Olam and Oseh Shalom in Hebrew, while fifth grade students illuminated themselves—creatively dressed in black and lined with Glow Sticks and danced to Mi’Shenichnas Adar, a traditional Purim Song. All 120 students performed the finale—Oseh Shalom and Salaam. A reception followed in the Cardo.
Heather Moore, Head of School, says she is so proud of SIA’s students and faculty members, “Everyone worked together to produce such a wonderful spring show in a relatively short amount of time. The students brought to life SIA’s Evening of the Arts in a way that perfectly combined their learning of the fine arts, global mindedness and Jewish culture.”
The Strelitz International Academy is the community’s Jewish Day School and authorized International Baccalaureate® program for Infants through grade 5. SIA is currently enrolling for the 2022-2023 school year.
Carin Simon is director of admissions at Strelitz International Academy. She may be reached at 757-424-4327, ext. 4189 or csimon@strelitzacademy.org.