“I’ve been staring at the edge of the water, long as I can remember, never really knowing why,” sings Southwestern Middle School choir students in their production “Moana JR.”  The musical will be performed at 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm May 10 at River City Community Center.

At a recent rehearsal, students donned costumes and shared two songs with students from nearby Mintonye Elementary School. More than 70 students are involved in the musical production and the Southwestern Art Club created the scenery.

“I've found that the connections students make in this type of project are denser than in anything else we do in choir,” says choir teacher Camden Ritchie. “Students must problem-solve, take responsibility, work together, brain-storm and be creative in a group. They develop a sense of ownership and pride in their work, and genuinely enjoy performing for their audience.”  

Ritchie understands putting on a musical production like Moana JR is a huge project, but it’s great to see all the students come together and work as a team: “I hope that they walk away with a sense of self-efficacy and also the sheer joy of having a knockout performance.”