PALMETTO FORTIS
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission & Values
    • Meet The Team
    • Contact
  • Partners
    • Air & Surface Pro
  • Education Services
    • Marketing Services
    • Educational Consultants
  • Newsletter

Newsletter

Ask a Consultant: How to Choose the Best Production for Your School

8/23/2022

0 Comments

 
Who better to talk about choosing a script than a former director and actor herself? Callie Summer—Educational Consultant at Palmetto Fortis—has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Theatre. Callie has directed, designed, adapted, and acted in over a dozen shows at the elementary, high school, and collegiate level, and has toured in a children's show group across the country. She shared insight on how to choose a play that is the best fit for your school and your students.
Q: How can a director best evaluate if a play script is a good fit for their show?
​

A: It’s important to find quality shows. The classics are always a good option to start with as they have a legacy of success and proven quality. A few examples would be Matchmaker for high-schoolers and Tortoise and the Hare for Elementary students—stories that audiences are familiar with and enjoy, and that students can adopt quickly.

Another thing to consider is “what is the play saying, what are its values?” Is the story condoning something wrong? Just because it contains a challenging topic doesn’t mean you always avoid the story, but as a director/teacher, it’s important to guide your students through content using the lens of Scripture.
Picture
Don’t forget to keep in mind who is attending. If it’s a show for Grandparents’ Day, you might not want to do a serious, deep story. Helen Keller is a great play, but it also is really challenging and heavy for young audiences; not right if you’re aiming for a lighthearted mood.
Picture
Q: What are some things to consider when deciding on a script?
A: I was in a show called Wait Until Dark—a brilliant, thrilling show—but it is extremely technical, and the main character I played—Susie—is blind. When looking at your cast, you need to determine the following: “Do I have an actor who can handle these difficult roles?” and “Do I have the crew/volunteers to assist with technical aspects of the performance?”
​

Think through your rehearsal schedule—how many hours of practice time will you have with your cast? If you have less rehearsal time, consider choosing an abridged version, Prince Caspian for example, instead of the full version.
Q: Are there other ways you can determine if the script is right for your students?
A: I’d encourage starting with an abridged show to see the talent level of your students. Maybe don’t start with a musical (as fun and amazing as they are!). If you’ve staged shows before, definitely look at The Scarlet Pimpernel.
​
And remember to keep your administrator involved! There might be necessary schedule changes and last-minute requests, so it’s important that everyone stays in the loop.

A former principal wanted to start with a challenging show, and I encouraged us to do a classic instead. We got on the same page and ended up with a fantastic, doable performance for our school to build on. 

Picture

​I set the play in a time period that was less expensive to costume and stage than the original setting. Get creative with the script to help it fit your cast needs!

And remember, don’t be afraid to cast and train new actors and help them grow. 
​
Picture
Q: What is something that has helped you as a director?
A: Prayer is absolutely key. I have a notebook full of Bible verses that I pull out when things are tough in rehearsals, or I can’t figure out a technical aspect of staging a show. Having God’s Word in our hearts and hands is the best tool possible.

​Remember, theatre is a wonderful way to life-on-life disciple your students. 

Learn more about great scripts & production resources!

Request your FREE Perusal Packet today. 
Claim Your Free Preview
Picture
0 Comments

September Employee of the Month: Alice Brownlee

8/23/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Meet our Employee of the Month, Alice Brownlee! Alice has a vast amount of experience in the
education field. She has been an Educational Consultant here at Palmetto Fortis for 4 years.
Prior to working here, she served as a kindergarten teacher/administrator for 20 years, as the
ACSI Southeast Early Education Director for 8 years, and as an educational consultant for
ACSI/Purposeful Design for 10 years. We are so thankful for the level of expertise that Alice
brings to our team.

Alice has been happily married to Brad Brownlee for 45 years, and has two kids and 5 beautiful
grandchildren! In her free time, Alice enjoys reading, running, cooking, and working in the yard.
She also serves on a committee that oversees a historical cemetery in the Atlanta area dating
back to 1840.
​
Alice and her husband also enjoy traveling, being involved in the community, serving at their
church, and seeing their family! Alice’s favorite verse is James 1:17 — “Every good and perfect
gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change
like shifting shadows.” We are so thankful to have Alice as a valuable part of our team here at
Palmetto Fortis!
Contact Alice
0 Comments

Ask a Consultant

8/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome to the first monthly edition of “Ask a Consultant”! Our consultants here at Palmetto Fortis have years of educational and classroom experience, and we want to share that expertise with you! Make sure to tune in each month to learn more from our amazing consultants.

​This month we will be interviewing Brenda Love. Brenda has 15 years of classroom experience as a high-school English teacher. We sat down with her to ask her for a few tips for teachers as they head back to school!
Picture
Back to School Q&A
Q: What was most important for you when tackling a new school year as a teacher? 
A: "BE PREPARED. In my experience there is no such thing as over preparation! Preparation may look different for every teacher and at every grade level, but knowing your scope and sequence before the year begins is crucial to staying on track!" 


Q: How do you prepare yourself before the year begins and each day before stepping into the classroom? 
A: "The first thing I recommend is to start your morning in the Bible. We need to be in the Word and there is no better way to prepare for the day. The second thing I do to prepare is listen to podcasts in the morning. Learning from professionals in the field is so easy through podcasts and it is so beneficial. To teach others to learn, you have to keep learning yourself."


Q: Any last tips or recommendations for teachers this year?
A: "Over communicate with parents! It is crucial to start communicating early with parents. Don’t wait till a child is far behind, start early! This will help everyone involved, and it will help to build relationships."
0 Comments

Get to Know Purposeful Design

8/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Purposeful Design Publications is a Biblically-sourced curriculum company. With more than 30 years of experience, they have a strong reputation for academically sound and Biblically grounded textbooks.
Purposeful Design Publications exists for three main reasons. 

1. "To EQUIP teachers with the very best textbooks and resources for their classrooms."
2. "To INSPIRE educators and students to be lifelong learners, spiritually and academically."
3. "To SERVE the Christian school movement effectively."

 
Picture
New at Purposeful Design Publications!
Purposeful Design Publications recently released a new Language Arts curriculum for K5-3rd Grade. This incredible curriculum ties together oral and written communications seamlessly. It covers step by step phonics instruction, spelling with vocabulary, and a broad exposure to grammar and literature through various stories and activities. Read more about the Language Arts curriculum below!
Learn More
0 Comments

Employee of the Month: Josiah Magnuson

8/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Meet our Employee of the Month, Josiah Magnuson! Josiah is an educational consultant for Palmetto Fortis, and has been on our team since October of 2020.

Josiah is serving his fourth term as a South Carolina state representative where he was the co-founder of the SC Freedom Caucus. Josiah has used his extensive knowledge and experience to teach a variety of classes on history, science, and American government. Josiah has been happily married to his wife LeeAnne for three years, and in his free time he enjoys writing, hiking, numismatics, and making disciples of Jesus!

His favorite verse is “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us.” (Isaiah 33:22)
We are so thankful to have Josiah as part of the team here at Palmetto Fortis!
Contact Josiah
0 Comments

    Palmetto Fortis Blog

    These articles provide resources and solutions for your educational institution. Check back for monthly updates!


    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022

    RSS Feed

Picture
154 Milestone Way
Greenville, SC 29615

(800) 484-0197

HOME   |   ABOUT  |   PARTNERS   |   AIR & SURFACE PRO  |  SERVICES  |  NEWS  |  ​ CONTACT
©2022 Palmetto Fortis Marketing. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission & Values
    • Meet The Team
    • Contact
  • Partners
    • Air & Surface Pro
  • Education Services
    • Marketing Services
    • Educational Consultants
  • Newsletter