MAD or French
Iris has applied to get into the MAD program for the second semester of next year. MAD stands for Music, Art and Drama. The kids go to a downtown school where they spend five months learning everything from musical theatre to dance to set building to videotography. Drama, music, dance and other teachers work with them through the semester and they put on two major productions for the community. In the case of next year they'll be part of the cultural contingent of the Canada Winter Games taking place in Whitehorse in February/March. They get English, Fine Arts and Phys Ed credits and have to pick up their other academics (science, history, etc.) in the first semester.
It sounds right down Iris' alley. The problem is that if she takes this program she'll lose out on getting her french immersion certificate. I'm not sure how significant that is and it's something she'll have to weigh after talking to her guidance counsellor. If she does persue dance after high school, this program might do her more good than a piece of paper that says she's bilingual. After all, she IS bilingual so I don't know how important the piece of paper is.
Last night she and I went to a MAD meeting. There are many hoops the kids have to jump through to get into the program, including writing essays, taking part in an experiential day in June, creating an art piece, etc. We'll see what Iris decides in the end. I sure wish there'd been a program like this when I was in school!
7:10:56 AM 
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