Schools looking forward to return of in-person, live theatrical performances

There’s good news for high school students who perform in plays and musicals and family members who enjoy watching them.

Korah Collegiate will be hosting a Halloween-themed ‘Singing & Treats’ night at the school beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 27, featuring some of the music from Les Miserables.

The Korah music department will also be showing a few edited videos from its 2020-21 school year online production of Les Miserables.

Looking ahead, Korah students will also be performing in Disney’s Frozen Jr. at the school’s theatre from Wednesday, Feb. 23 to Saturday Feb. 26, 2022 said Denine Williams, Korah music teacher.

Williams said a matinee performance may be added for Saturday Feb. 26.

Tickets for the Oct. 27 ‘Singing & Treats’ night at Korah are $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors.

Tickets are available at the door.

Korah’s theatrical news comes after the Ontario government announced, in August, that elementary and secondary school students would be going back to their classrooms five days a week in September with a return to almost pre-pandemic conditions, including school assemblies, music programming and extracurricular activities.

As far as COVID-19 rules are concerned, the Algoma District School Board (ADSB) stated in an email “at this time, for school productions, we will be limiting the audience to 50 per cent of maximum occupancy and will require eligible audience members (ages 12 and over) to be fully vaccinated and will need to provide proof of vaccination. Audience members must sign in upon entry to the facility (for contact tracing) and will wear masks and distance from other audience members who are not within their immediate household.”

On the school board’s sports scene, the ADSB stated “to continue to limit the number of visitors to schools while classes are in session, no spectators will be permitted at events hosted at Board facilities during the school day.”

“The number of spectators will be limited at secondary sports events hosted within Board facilities outside the school day and will be subject to the following protocols:

• There is a limit of two spectators per player. 
• All spectators for indoor games who are eligible for vaccination must provide photo identification and proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 at the exterior doors prior to entry.
• All spectators must screen for COVID-19 prior to entering the facility.
• For contact tracing, all spectators must sign upon entry into the facility.
• All spectators will wear masks and distance from other spectators who are not within their immediate household.

Secondary sports hosted at community facilities will be subject to the COVID-19 spectator protocols in place within those facilities. Due to limited seating availability, no spectators will be permitted during elementary sports events.”

The same measures are in place for school boards across the province.