The Big Apple Circus’ One-Room
School
By Michelle DeSarbo
Tucked away just outside the heart of Lincoln Center, the
Big Apple Circus appears quiet and still from the outside,
a series of nondescript trailers behind a quaint white picket
fence. But the silence belies the busy activity within. A visit
to the 60-foot trailer known as the One Ring Schoolhouse, a
place where children whose families are involved in the circus
(and children who participate in the circus themselves) go
to receive their education, proved that learning environments
come in all shapes and sizes.
The Schoolhouse is well-heated with wood paneling and individual
cubicle-style desks where students Christian, Sergey and Nick
receive instruction from teacher Melody Courtney. Since each
student is at a different grade level, Courtney must conduct
a different lesson for each student simultaneously. While 9th
grader Christian does a science experiment with seeds in one
area, 5th grader Sergey and 6th grader Nick take a geography
test in another. With a smaller environment to work with and
fewer students to keep track of than the typical teacher, Courtney
is able to manage the three tasks simultaneously.
The atmosphere seems
less formal than that of the average classroom. There is
no rigid schedule here; the boys choose when they take their
ten minute breaks for fresh air and hot chocolate, and if
one finishes early, he can go home. Older students like Christian,
Nick and Sergey meet from 9 a.m. to noon while younger children
take afternoon classes from 1 to 4 p.m. Unlike the traditional
school week, classes at the One Ring Schoolhouse meet Wednesday
through Sunday with Mondays and Tuesdays as “weekends.” With
no shows on Mondays and Tuesdays, students are free to spend
time with their families and each other.
In addition, teachers use the city as a way of supplementing
their lessons. One class, for example, took a field trip to
Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island, another to the Museum
of Natural History. There are tutors available who help students
with specific subjects. And the rich blend of multi-cultural
backgrounds of students also serves as a learning tool; performers
hail from England, France, the Ukraine, Bulgaria and Mexico
to name a few.
Ten-year-old Sergey,
for example, is originally from Moscow, Russia. His mother
is a juggler and his father is part of a balancing act. Before
coming to the Big Apple Circus with his mother, Sergey and
his family were involved in the circus in Moscow, occasionally
traveling through Europe to perform. He began his education
at the One Ring Schoolhouse two months ago in September.
Once the season ends, he will go back to Moscow with his
mother. “I like this school,” he
says. “I have friends here like Christian and Nick. But
a lot of my friends are at home in Moscow.”
Thirteen-year-old Christian
Stoinev, on the other hand, has been at the Schoolhouse for
nearly seven years. Having made his circus debut at the age
of five in an act with his father, he has had his current
act in which he does tricks with his pet Chihuahua, Scooby,
for roughly a year. On his breaks, Stoinev goes back to Orlando. “I have a lot more friends in Orlando,” he
says. “But I’d rather have seven good friends than
32 people who pretend to be your friends and really aren’t.
Here, I’ve been around people who are 18-20. I’ve
matured as a result,” he says. “Nick and Sergey
have friends their age so it’s different.” Stoinev
some day hopes to play a professional sport like football,
baseball or basketball but remains realistic about pursuing
it as a career. “If my sports career doesn’t work
out, I’d like to study film and eventually become a director.
I’m still young and I’m still learning, so it’s
really exciting to me.”
And as the One Ring Schoolhouse shows, the possibilities are
endless. Past graduates Kathryn and Max Binder completed Kindergarten
through high school and went on to Barnard and Dartmouth, respectively.
With such a learning environment to nurture and guide their
education, Stoinev and other students are able to dream big.#
