Woodrow Wilson High School’s award winning one-act play program has found a “foster parent”.
That is how the program’s new director, Jim Fisher, describes himself.
Fisher adopted the play after long-time one-act director Monty Holamon decided to take a break from it.
One-act play is a UIL event in which schools compete against each other at the district, regional, area and state levels by performing a 40-minute play in front of judges.
During Holamon’s nine years as director, Woodrow’s one-act advanced to the state level six times, receiving third place last spring.
After Holamon, a French teacher at Woodrow, announced he was giving up the director’s chair, there was talk at the school of canceling one-act. But Fisher, a 52-year-old Oak Cliff resident, stepped forward.
“I’ve always thought drama was a wonderful way to teach children,” Fisher says. “The stage is a wonderful classroom.”
Fisher works for DISD as a sign language interpreter and beams like a proud father when discussing the deaf student he works with at Woodrow, senior Emily Renda. He has shadowed Renda since she was in the seventh grade at J.L. Long Middle School.
Over the years, Fisher has gotten to know Renda’s classmates, and says he is excited about the play because it will give him a chance to work with some of these students one on one.
“I feel I will learn as much from them as they will from me,” Fisher says.
Woodrow will perform “The Actor’s Nightmare” by Christopher Durang for this year’s one-act competition. Students tried out for parts late last month.
Fisher has no directing experience, but he has been involved with Woodrow’s fine arts department since coming to the school.
He plays flute in the orchestra for Woodrow’s winter musicals, and he plays flute in the Mesquite Symphony Orchestra.
His stint as director is temporary, he says, since he hopes to see Holamon return to the one-act program in the future.
While he is director, Fisher hopes to maintain Woodrow’s winning one-act tradition, but the learning experience is what is most important to him, he says.
“One of the goals of one-act,” he says, “is to instill an enjoyment of theater in children that they can enjoy their whole lives.”
News & Notes
POLICE ENCOURAGE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE: The East Dallas Police Storefront is awarding elementary age students who have perfect attendance in school with a bicycle, helmet, lock and chain. Neighborhood elementaries benefiting from the program include Mt. Auburn, James B. Bonham, James W. Fannin, William Lipscomb and Ignacio Zaragoza. Bikes have been donated and then fixed up by police officers who are certified bicycle mechanics. Each bike will have an identification number in the event it is lost or stolen. The bikes will be given to students in December. To make a donation, call Sgt. Jim Little or Sr. Cpl. Lynn Albright at 670-5514.
LONG CLEANS UP NEIGHBORHOOD: Clean Scene, a Dallas initiative to clean up inner-city neighborhoods, kicked-off at J.L. Long Middle School last month. The program is designed to bring the public and private sectors together to educate inner-city youth about the environment.
Students are taught about litter prevention, recycling, solid waste management and beautification through a hands-on approach. Keep Dallas Beautiful also provides training for teachers on such topics as identifying recyclable materials and handling hazardous waste.
For the kick-off of Clean Scene, Long students, faculty, neighbors and other volunteers conducted a clean-up that began on campus, 6116 Reiger, and extended throughout the nearby community.
Clean Scene has been initiated at Dallas public high schools, but Long is the first middle school to take part. The AT&T Foundation provided the grant that funds the project.
STUDENT OPERA AT LAKEWOOD: Lakewood Elementary School’s sixth grade opera company, Controlled Chaos, performs its fourth original opera “Discrimination That Don’t Work” on Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 17 at 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. in the school’s auditorium, 3000 Hillbrook. The opera is written, composed, performed, staged and publicized by the students, who have been working on the show since September. The opera is free and open to the public. For information, call the school at 841-5250.
RECYCLING BENEFITS SCHOOLS: Dallas Public Schools teamed up this summer with the Champion International Corporation in a recycling project benefiting neighborhood schools. Champion has placed recycling bins at DISD schools and is paying each school directly for the paper-products it collects. Products being recycled include colored or white paper, flattened cardboard, newspapers, magazines, telephone books and junk mail. The collection bins are yellow and blue. William Lipscomb Elementary, 5801 Worth, plans to use its proceeds to help fund a science lab. There is also a collection bin at the Boys and Girls Club, 4804 Worth.
RIBBON CUTTING AT LEE: A ribbon cutting for the new addition at Robert E. Lee Elementary, 2911 Delmar, is scheduled Nov. 12 at 1:30 p.m. DISD Superintendent Chad Woolery and School Board President Sandy Kress will be guests. Shirley Ison-Newsome, the area superintendent for our neighborhood, will also attend. The new addition houses kindergarten, as well as fifth and sixth grades, says Lee faculty member Sarah Dooz, who is organizing the ribbon cutting. The addition has been in use since the beginning of the school year and has nearly doubled Lee’s size, Dooz says. Dooz encourages former Lee students to attend the ceremony, and the public is invited. For information, call the school at 841-5240.
CULTURAL AWARENESS AT ZARAGOZA: Sixth graders at Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary, 4550 Worth, are learning Native American traditions and customs this year as part of a new cultural awareness program called HOPE – Honoring of People Everywhere.
HOPE works with schools, libraries and the City to promote understanding and appreciate among people of different cultural backgrounds. HOPE has been working with Dallas schools since 1993, teaching students about a variety of countries and cultures.
This year, HOPE is sending volunteers to Zaragoza, thanks to the initiative of the school’s PTA. In the spring, the sixth graders will host a fair for their school to teach other students what they have learned.
To bring HOPE to your school or to volunteer for the organization, call 504-6836.
LAKEHILL SUCCESSES: Three students from Lakehill Preparatory School – Becklien James, Jamie Lee and Cameron Portera – had their art work displayed during the Dallas Symphony’s recent Amazing Music series. The art work of 35 Dallas area students was chosen for display from art work by more than 15,000 students in grades four through eight. The symphony’s concerts will be videotaped and aired on a national telecast.
Lakehill senior Seth Archer, son of Myra and Eric Archer, is one of 10 Texas students selected to participate in the 1995 Pan American Student Forum Cultural Exchange Program. Seth will travel to Mexico this month for the program, which is designed to enhance relationships between cultures.
Lakehill is located at 2720 Hillside.
READING ASSOCIATION HONORS TEACHER: Elia Moore, a second grade teacher at Lakewood Elementary School, has received the 1995 Celebrate Literacy Award from the Dallas chapter of the International Reading Association. Moore is the first teacher to receive the award, which in the past has gone to principals, superintendents and business people. She was honored for the summer reading programs and book clubs she has organized. Moore has taught in the Dallas Public Schools for 18 years.
GRANT TO HELP AT-RISK YOUTH: Gov. George Bush recently awarded a $262,000 Wagner-Peyser Discretionary Fund grant to Dallas Can! Academy, 2601 Live Oak, at the request of State Sen. Florence Shapiro. The money will aid literacy, employment training and job placement programs for young adults. Dallas Can! helps at-risk youth stay in school, earn General Education Development certificates and attain employment.
CREATIVITY AND CHILDREN: Stonewall Jackson Elementary’s Early Childhood PTA presents “Creativity and Your Child: Art, Music and Dance” on Nov. 9 at 7:15 p.m. in the school’s library, 5828 E. Mockingbird. Former SMU music instructor Amanda Byars, dance therapist Cheri Croslin and art therapist Anita Mester will be guest speakers. Call Karen Moyer for information at 823-2644. To join the PTA or to volunteer, call PTA President Geena Hawyrluk at 821-2149.
CHRISTMAS CRAFTS ON SALE: St. Thomas Aquinas School, 3741 Abrams, holds its 11th annual Christmas Craft Bazaar Dec. 1-2 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the auditorium. More than 40 artisans will be selling ornaments, clothing, jewelry and decorative items. A children’s craft area will be set up where children of all ages can make their own gifts and have their picture taken with Santa Claus. Lunch and refreshments will be available. Proceeds benefit the school’s parent association. Call 821-9137 for information.
BAYLES FORMS CHOIR: Students are signing at Bayles Elementary, 2444 Telegraph. The school formed a fifth and sixth grade choir this fall and had its first performance in September. Music Teacher Ralph Howell is directing the choir.
