A Sweet Performance at Convocation: Willy, Charlie and the Oompah Loompahs

During our division-wide Convocation in August, Central Office entertained the group with a performance of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  In our version, teaching candidates for IWCS were put through several tests at the factory in order to see who was worthy of working for our school system.  Augustus Grump, the Boringard sisters, Veruca Brickbrain and Mike PBL, as well as Charlie and Willy, took us on an adventure, complete with a chocolate river, human blueberries, shrink rays and trap doors.  We even had our very own Oompah Loompah chorus!  Every member of Central Office participated in the production, whether in front of or behind the curtain.  It's our way of sharing an important message in a light-hearted way, while modeling the importance of taking risks.  I am so proud of the work of each person involved in the skit and I'm excited to be able to share the video of the performance with you.  We had a few microphone issues that were resolved about mid-way through, so you may want to select the closed captioning feature in order to catch all the dialogue.  Enjoy!

IWCS Convocation: Chants, Cheers and Champions

In August, we held our annual division-wide Convocation.  It's an energetic kick-off to the new year, where we celebrate our successes, reaffirm our mission and vision, and demonstrate our love for what we do.  We also find time to cheer, laugh, and sometimes even cry during the three hours we are together. This year was no different.

We saw lip sync videos from each school as part of the traditional school spirit contest.  The judges had a difficult time deciding on a winner, but Smithfield High emerged victorious and took possession of the coveted "spirit coconut".  We heard a powerful message from Manny Scott, one of the original Freedom Writers, on the importance of building positive relationships with students.  I shared a few remarks with the group and encouraged them to be Champions this year.  In the video you can see and hear the enthusiasm that filled the auditorium that day.  Enjoy!

Dr. Thornton's Convocation Message (video)