08.09.2016

06 SEP GOING TO SCHOOL WITH THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

• Description

  06 SEP GOING TO SCHOOL WITH THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

  As children across the country begin heading back to school, the children of Ringling Bros. performers, staff and crew haven’t really stopped their classes! Many people are surprised to learn that Ringling Bros. has its own school for the children that travel with the circus show. The constant travel, diverse mix of student backgrounds and the circus lifestyle makes this school system one of a kind! We asked one of the dedicated teachers, Terri Qualls, who travels with Ringling Bros. Presents Out Of This World to give us some insight into what makes the way these circus children go to school so unique. Check it out!

  
  

  Ringling Bros. School Teacher Terri Qualls with student

   

  What is the structure of the Ringling Bros. school? All kids learning together? Separate classes?

  The school is structured into four groups with two sessions. We have the first session from noon to 4:00 pm and the second session runs from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. In each session we have one group of first graders. The second group in each session has a grade range of second grade to tenth grade. We have three teachers and an assistant with approximately 24 children.

  What is a normal “school day” like? Do kids go to school Monday-Friday like a traditional school?

  The normal school day at the circus lasts four hours plus a 30-minute lunch break. We use a homeschool program that allows our students to work at their own individual level. School is in session whenever the circus is performing; usually Thursday through Sunday. We do combine classes to go on field trips or to celebrate a birthday! Monday and Tuesday are the circus’s “weekend”.  We call these “dark days”. 

  
  

   

  What happens when the train is moving?

  The train is usually moving on Monday. Although the teachers do some tutoring on the train, we don’t have school on the train. Not all the children travel on the train, some travel in RVs with their families – traveling on the road instead of the tracks.

  How many different languages are spoken by the students? From how many different countries are the students?  How is the challenge of multiple languages addressed for the students?

  There are eight different languages spoken by the students; Portuguese, Russian, French, Arabic, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish and of course English. Almost all of our students speak English as a second language. For some students, English is a third or fourth language.

  The students are from nine different countries; Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Brazil, Morocco, Mongolia, Peru, Hungary and the United States.

  All subjects in the classroom are taught in English. We use various English learning programs to help the students learn English. We also use Google Translate to help us talk to children who don’t speak any English when they first arrive. Once the children are here; they quickly learn to talk with their friends in English.

  
  

   

  What is the biggest advantage that children in the Ringling Bros. school have over kids in a traditional school?

  The biggest advantage to having our traveling school is that our classes can go on field trips all over the country.  The other advantages are that the students are able to work at their own pace and have a smaller student-to-teacher ratio.

  Outside of the classroom, the students have an opportunity to take lessons from amazing artists from all over the world. They can learn the techniques of contortion, acrobatics, gymnastics, trapeze, juggling, clowning, and even playing the piano.

   What is one thing that people would be surprised to know about the Ringling Bros. school?

  They would be surprised that we pack our school into three boxes that travel with us and set up a new school room, in a new city every week! People would also be interested to know that education for the students is provided for free to the employees by Feld Entertainment.

  https://www.ringling.com/greatest-school-earth/