CIRCUS, CIRCUS

WASILLA — Machetanz Elementary students don’t get in trouble for clowning around.

“We kind of go through a circus unit talking about the animals that are involved and the jobs and the music,” said kindergarten teacher Robin Ouellette.

The school’s gym teacher throws in some instruction about acrobatics. The music instructor teaches them about circus music. And each year it culminates in a performance featuring all the kindergarten students in different roles. This year’s installment came April 29.

Some kindergarteners played animals, some played clowns. There was an elephant trainer and dancing bears. The clowns capered on scooter-things used for therapy in gym class and tossed buckets of confetti on the audience.

Ouellette said her colleague, Cathy Ledbetter, has been doing the Kindergarten Circus for years at Tanaina Elementary.

“When we moved to Machetanz last year she just brought it with her,” she said. “Since Cathy teaches a kindergarten/first grade, her first-graders had done it last year so they were kind of the backstage helpers and they passed out the fliers.”

The clown costumes were new this year, Ouellette said. They were sewn by a grandmother of one of her students.

Parents, Ouellette said, played a big role, popping popcorn, painting faces and blowing up balloons. And then they all got to be audience members, enjoying the show.

“Everybody’s putting it together to make it colorful and fun,” she said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.