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From the moment French International Exchange Student, Mathias Jezequel, stepped off the plane and met his host family in Elyria, Ohio, he was swept up in a most wonderful whirlwind of activity--from entering high school, to performing with theater companies, to visiting some of America's most iconic destinations. American host and Elyria Schools Gifted Teacher, Charlene Hartley, and her family, ensured that Mathias had a lifetime of experiences in one year. In this podcast, recorded just before Mathias' return to France, he talked about these treasured moments and memories in Elyria and in the United States, and most importantly, about the lifelong bond that was formed with his American hosts.

It's a great day to be a Pioneer! Thanks for listening. Find Elyria Schools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!

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Pioneer Theater (PT) is a gem in the community of Elyria and Lorain County. The long-running children's theater program was established in 1976. This educational summer program teaches children all the way through the age of 18 all aspects of theater from set design to stage acting. After just three-weeks of learning and growing in this summer theater club, the students will perform a live show on stage. It's a fascinating and truly remarkable accomplishment. This year's troupe will perform an old-timey classic: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, July 12 and 13 at the Elyria Performing Arts Center. Joining us on this episode of Petey Podcast is Pioneer Theater Director Madilyn Riley and former PT student and Elyria High School graduate, Lilly Parker.

It's a great day to be a Pioneer! Thanks for listening. Find Elyria Schools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!

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From the earliest days of civilization, group dramatic readings have been a thing. Poets, actors and students have taken to the stage to enthusiastically belt out the lines of a script as audiences visualize each moment. Reader's Theater in schools operates under the same guiding principles, giving students the chance to read and act out dialogue, boosting their reading and presentation skills. Two dynamos of the Elyria Schools Special Education Department have taken this experience even further. Carla Valles, Northwood Elementary, and Kathy Pero, Eastern Heights Middle, have for nearly a decade modified Reader's Theater to tap their students' creative spirits and to strengthen academic goals. Carla, a playwright herself, began creatively adapting beloved stories and books which her students eagerly consumed--even dressing in costumes and presenting their lines on stage with gusto. The newest chronicle in the Valles and Pero Reader's Theater: "The Day the Crayons Went on Strike!" Take a listen to how Reader's Theater has grown in our chat with Carla on Petey Podcast!

It's a great day to be a Pioneer! Thanks for listening. Find Elyria Schools on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!