Mother Goose shows were performed at the following public schools:
In Public Elementary Schools:
* Ardmore Elementary in Springdale, MD
* Ashurst Elementary in Quantico, VA
* Baltimore Highlands Elementary in Baltimore, MD
* Barnhart Elementary in Waldorf, MD
* Cooper Lane Elementary in Landover Hills, MD
* Gaithersburg Elementary in Gaithersburg, MD
* Heather Hills Elementary in Bowie, MD
* Indian Queen Elementary in Fort Washington, MD
* James McHenry Elementary in Lanham, MD
* Melwood Elementary in Upper Marlboro, MD
* Middleton Valley Elementary in Temple Hills, MD
* Mills Parole Elementary in Annapolis, MD
* Mother Jones Elementary in Adelphi, MD
* North Springfield Elementary in Springfield, VA
* Oakland Terrace Elementary in Silver Spring, MD
* Oaklands Elementary in Laurel, MD
* Wade Elementary in Waldorf, MD
* Wayside Elementary in Potomac, MD
* Westowne Elementary in Catonsville, MD
* Winfield Elementary in Baltimore, MD
* Winfield Elementary in Westminster, MD
And in other venues such as:
* A Child’s Place in Alexandria, VA
* Bright Horizons Family School in Silver Spring, MD
* Brookfield Christian School in Clarksville, MD
* Bull Run Library in Manassas, VA
* Central Community Library in Manassas, VA
* Centre Branch Library in Salisbury, MD
* Children’s Center in Bowie, MD
* Chinn Park Regional Library in Woodbridge, VA
* Christ Church Children’s Center in Middletown, MD
* Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD
* Crème de la Crème in Sterling, VA
* Kid’s Corner in Washington DC
* Kiddie Garden in Jessup, MD
* Kindercare in Reston, VA
* Metropolitan Nursery School in DC
* National Theatre’s “Saturday Morning at the National” in Washington, DC
* Nest Academy in Lorton, VA
* Open Arms in Broadlands, VA
* Potomac Community Library in Woodbridge, VA
* Potomac Heights Christian Academy in Indian Head, MD
* Riverdale Farmer’s Market in Riverdale, MD
* Talbot Library in Easton, MD
* Town of Dumfries, VA – Spring Festival (asked to return for Charter Festival)
* Town of Herndon – Martin Luther King Day Celebration
* Town of Leesburg, VA – Flower and Garden Festival
* Westgate Child Center in McLean, VA
* Woodbrook Early Educational Center – Baltimore, MD
Here are some comments from recent Mother Goose shows:
March 2008
Mada Gray of Gaithersburg Elementary actually designed a feedback form for the teachers to fill out. Here are the questions and some of the responses the show got:
What did you like about the puppet show? What grade do you teach?
My students and I enjoyed the songs and the puppets. Everything was wonderful. The students really enjoyed dancing with each other. (First Grade Teacher)
The students were actively engaged. (First Grade Teacher)
The children had the opportunity to stand up and move. Mother Goose told the story and background of each nursery rhyme. She told the nursery rhymes in a variety of ways. (Kindergarten Teacher)
I liked that it was interactive, it got the kids up and moving, and the stories were told in a variety of ways. (Kindergarten Teacher)
Everything! I especially appreciated that you got the kids involved and up off the floor to dance. They loved it! It was too short (not really), but we wanted more! J (Kindergarten Teacher)
It was original and entertaining. The audience was included. (Kindergarten Teacher)
The presentation was good for this age group. (Kindergarten Teacher)
Students were encouraged to participate by singing, dancing, hand movements, etc. (Kindergarten Teacher)
Everything. (Kindergarten Volunteer)
I liked that the children had the chance to sing the songs and act out a nursery rhyme. (Pre-K Teacher)
Everything, our Pre-K kids enjoyed it. (Pre-K Teacher)
The dancing part was wonderful, and I loved the puppetry too. It was great, I enjoyed it and had fun. (Tenth Grader in attendance)
Was the performance useful for your students? If so, why?
Yes. It drew on familiar rhymes and songs, most of which they could join in on. (First Grade Teacher)
I think it was practical because it showed students ways to be creative in their writing. (First Grade Teacher)
The exposure to different types of music and dance is very valuable. Thank you! (Kindergarten)
Definitely. We have a high population of English Language Learners. Also, many of our students are not familiar with Mother Goose. They need to learn them for many reasons – mostly, these poems allow students to hear and learn the rhythm of language. It’s so important! Also, many of the poems have several kindergarten high frequency words in them – allowing many of my students to be able to read entire poems. (Kindergarten Teacher)
Yes! It exposed the kids to nursery rhymes in a new way. The interactive singing and dancing was well incorporated into the show. (Kindergarten Teacher)
Definitely. Rhyming and singing are useful skills that teachers don’t necessarily have time to incorporate into their daily teaching. (Kindergarten Teacher)
Yes. They enjoyed it and got very involved. (Pre-K Teacher)
Pre-K children were involved at all times with the rhymes and dancing. (Pre-K Teacher)
3/6/08
Dear Diane:
Thank you for the wonderful program today. Your puppets, props and stage were incredible. Your talent in presenting nursery rhymes in such a unique, informative, entertaining manner was remarkable. What was even more extraordinary was the way you kept the rapt attention of an auditorium full of kindergarten and first grade students. Not only kept their rapt attention, but were able to transition them from sitting, to marching, to dancing and back again while retaining their interest.
I am the guidance counselor to many of the students for whom you performed, and I know that keeping the attention of some of those students is no easy task. I am in awe.
I am excited that you will be making a CD. The karaoke idea is super! What a tool to spark creativity in children. I am hoping that at some point you develop a book to go along with the CD. It would be great to incorporate some of the historical information you provided, as well as some of the “fractured” nursery rhymes. It is great for the children to see these things portrayed in different ways.
I was truly moved and excited about your work. Keep it up! You are such a genuine, caring role model for our children. We need more performers like you who are so committed to inspiring and lifting up our kids!
— Sincerely, Karen Surratt, Wade Elementary, Waldorf, MD
10/24/07
Thank you for sharing your music and Mother Goose with us. The children truly enjoyed it and I got a lot of positive feedback from the teachers. They especially liked the character interviews and that the children got to get up and move. Thank you again for sharing your talents.
— Linda Spachtholz, Team Leader, Kindergarten Teacher, North Springfield Elementary, Springfield, VA
9/21/07
Thank you for sharing your "Mother Goose" talent with the children at our Children's Center today. It was the perfect length of time and the program accommodated all our 70 children in attendance from ages 2-10. The student participation was enjoyed by all and there was opportunity for all to sit and be entertained and to stand and participate. Educating the children about the words and meaning of old English poetry and nursery rhymes is something many children have never been exposed to. Thank you again for coming all the way to Middletown with your program.
— Louisa Potts, Director, Christ Church Children's Center
9/24/07
Everyone in my class seemed to really enjoy the show. The kids were singing and dancing and having a great time. Some of the students were still reciting the rhymes after you were finished. I loved the show and would recommend you to other schools.
— Laura Quinn, Kindergarten Teacher, Cooper Lane Elementary
We liked the dancing and when Jack and Jill talked. We liked when Jack sang to us. Mother Goose is cool. We wished it was longer.
— Ms. Donovan’s class, First Grade, Cooper Lane Elementary
OTHER NEWS:
Mother Goose and her Fabulous Puppet Friends” have been asked to return to the National Theatre’s “Saturday Morning at the National” on March 7 th, 2009.
"Mother Goose and her Fabulous Puppet Friends" was accepted on to the roster of the Anne Arundel Arts council after the show was previewed.
All library shows last summer had their tickets completely distributed from within one to three hours after becoming available, and were completely full houses.
The Spring Festival in Dumfries, VA in March was a huge success and Mother Goose was asked to return in May for their Charter Day celebration. See the letter of appreciation Mother Goose got from the Spring Festival.
Diane is also a substitute teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools, and has taken the Praxis I exam as a first step towards getting certified as a teacher in Maryland. All individual scores were above average, with a total score of 558 out of 570, and a perfect score on her essay.
Check out Diane's articles at www.icommag.com, approximately every other month she does the cover story. For the January cover story, Diane wrote a piece called, “The Importance of Being Editor”.