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NOVEMBER 2005

The Big Apple Circus’ One-Room School
By Michelle DeSarbo

Tucked away just outside the heart of Lincoln Center, the Big Apple Circus appears quiet and still from the outside, a series of nondescript trailers behind a quaint white picket fence. But the silence belies the busy activity within. A visit to the 60-foot trailer known as the One Ring Schoolhouse, a place where children whose families are involved in the circus (and children who participate in the circus themselves) go to receive their education, proved that learning environments come in all shapes and sizes.

The Schoolhouse is well-heated with wood paneling and individual cubicle-style desks where students Christian, Sergey and Nick receive instruction from teacher Melody Courtney. Since each student is at a different grade level, Courtney must conduct a different lesson for each student simultaneously. While 9th grader Christian does a science experiment with seeds in one area, 5th grader Sergey and 6th grader Nick take a geography test in another. With a smaller environment to work with and fewer students to keep track of than the typical teacher, Courtney is able to manage the three tasks simultaneously.

The atmosphere seems less formal than that of the average classroom. There is no rigid schedule here; the boys choose when they take their ten minute breaks for fresh air and hot chocolate, and if one finishes early, he can go home. Older students like Christian, Nick and Sergey meet from 9 a.m. to noon while younger children take afternoon classes from 1 to 4 p.m. Unlike the traditional school week, classes at the One Ring Schoolhouse meet Wednesday through Sunday with Mondays and Tuesdays as “weekends.” With no shows on Mondays and Tuesdays, students are free to spend time with their families and each other.

In addition, teachers use the city as a way of supplementing their lessons. One class, for example, took a field trip to Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island, another to the Museum of Natural History. There are tutors available who help students with specific subjects. And the rich blend of multi-cultural backgrounds of students also serves as a learning tool; performers hail from England, France, the Ukraine, Bulgaria and Mexico to name a few.

Ten-year-old Sergey, for example, is originally from Moscow, Russia. His mother is a juggler and his father is part of a balancing act. Before coming to the Big Apple Circus with his mother, Sergey and his family were involved in the circus in Moscow, occasionally traveling through Europe to perform. He began his education at the One Ring Schoolhouse two months ago in September. Once the season ends, he will go back to Moscow with his mother. “I like this school,” he says. “I have friends here like Christian and Nick. But a lot of my friends are at home in Moscow.”

Thirteen-year-old Christian Stoinev, on the other hand, has been at the Schoolhouse for nearly seven years. Having made his circus debut at the age of five in an act with his father, he has had his current act in which he does tricks with his pet Chihuahua, Scooby, for roughly a year. On his breaks, Stoinev goes back to Orlando. “I have a lot more friends in Orlando,” he says. “But I’d rather have seven good friends than 32 people who pretend to be your friends and really aren’t. Here, I’ve been around people who are 18-20. I’ve matured as a result,” he says. “Nick and Sergey have friends their age so it’s different.” Stoinev some day hopes to play a professional sport like football, baseball or basketball but remains realistic about pursuing it as a career. “If my sports career doesn’t work out, I’d like to study film and eventually become a director. I’m still young and I’m still learning, so it’s really exciting to me.”

And as the One Ring Schoolhouse shows, the possibilities are endless. Past graduates Kathryn and Max Binder completed Kindergarten through high school and went on to Barnard and Dartmouth, respectively. With such a learning environment to nurture and guide their education, Stoinev and other students are able to dream big.#

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