Random Access

When Silken Laumann was in Mississauga last year, she told me she could tell a good school within the first five minutes of going in the door. Her antennae told her that Plum Tree Park, which she was visiting to promote her Active Kids program, was one of those special places.
Don't know about five minutes, but I do know that good schools have a certain buoyant atmosphere that is almost palpable. It always starts at the top and permeates from the principal down through the ranks.
After a recent visit, it's safe to say that Sheridan Park Public School in the Homelands is one of those locales.
Exhibit Number 1: Canada We Are The World, the school play being put on tonight and tomorrow (9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.)
The idea started last fall when parent Camille Jocsak, or Cami as she's known to one and all, got chatting with Jim Carswell, who's been an exceptional music teacher at Sheridan Park for the past decade or so.
They wanted to do something different for the staid old spring play. They wanted to make the event about what really happens in their school, as envisioned and created by the students.
Thus was born the idea of a fictional account of new students coming to Sheridan Park, including Sherise from hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, Abdullah from earthquake-shattered Pakistan and Zhao from China, who try to fit into a new country and deal with unfamiliar and conflicting dynamics of the school yard at the same time.
"We did a lot of research on bullying," says Cami, who describes herself as a parent and freelance volunteer with a special interest in the arts. She's worked on a pile of different arts and fundraising events at Hillcrest, Homelands, Erindale and Cawthra and organized much of the concert given by Oscar Peterson last October at the school named in his honour.
Education is a collective, collaborative, community experience in the opinion of Sheridan Park Principal Luciana Cardarelli. Everyone has pitched in to help with this project, from the car dealerships in the Erin Mills Auto Campus who provided funds to the Grade 5 class that did the backdrops.
Professional musicians such as Steven Eadie worked with the 100-piece (that's not a typo) orchestra. Parent Keith Bonnell, a sound expert who works at CBC did the audio. Gerry Campbell (father of actor Neve), a teacher at Erindale Secondary, not only provided risers but helped cut, build and install them. Parent Chantelle Kowdrysh, who has National ballet experience, helped with choreography. Danni Semenchuk sewed her fingers to the bone doing costumes.
The list of expert volunteers goes on and on.
"It overwhelms me to see the bounty of people willing to help in this community," says Cardarelli of the surrounding Sheridan Homelands neighbourhood.
We Are The World has truly been a collaborative experience that allows students not necessarily used to the spotlight to shine for a change.
"When our children learn to make music," says Cardarelli, "we nourish their self-confidence, creativity and compassion and contribute to their development as a whole person."
Ditto, it would seem, for the adults.