Warwick NOVEMBER 1, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Creating an environment where learning can thrive ometimes it’s nice to have somebody to talk to. Sometimes it’s nice to know there’s someone in your corner. That type of support can be extremely helpful as you’re growing up. At Warwick Middle School, Marianne Bropst is that someone, or at least one of them. A school counselor at Warwick for the past 10 years, Bropst is passionate about what she does, and she sees herself as part of a team charged with the task of educating the whole of every student.
S
BY JEFF FALK
GiGi’s Playhouse’s new digs will allow teachers and clients more room to move around.
loose ends are tied up at the new location. A grand reopening is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 11, 2024. “It will be a lot better,” said Fitzwater. “Our largest group of individuals with Down syndrome are adults, and now they’re meeting in a playroom full of toys. We’re See GiGi’s Playhouse pg 4
School counselor Marianne Bropst meets with a Warwick Middle School student.
“Students come to me with anything and everything,” said Bropst. “We work with students, teachers, administrators and other counselors. We’re one piece of the whole puzzle, and we pull things together. I support all students, but I support them all differently.” Bropst directs her support to three key areas - academics, personal and career. In addition to meeting with students one on one, Bropst attends classes with students and even does a bit of teaching herself. “When I’m with students, I’m
going to share a little about me so they can feel more comfortable,” said Bropst. “Relationship building is important at school. We want kids to feel noticed and appreciated. When you do that, other things come out in meetings. It’s amazing what teenagers will tell you when you give them time and space.” “I think generally that the transition into middle school is a big step,” continued Bropst. “Studying becomes a bigger deal. I talk to students a lot about social stuff. Social stuff can be challenging. But I’m
Special 30th anniversary “Nutcracker” planned BY ANN MEAD ASH
To celebrate three decades of presenting “The Nutcracker” to Lancaster-area audiences, the Viktor Yeliohin International Ballet Academy will hold a special presentation of the ballet, which will bring together on stage 20 dancers who have played Clara in the production. “The Nutcracker” will be presented at the High Fine Arts Center at Lancaster Mennonite School, 2176 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, on Friday, Dec. 1, at
See School counselor pg 3
6:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m. The former Claras will be honored at the 1 p.m. show on Dec. 2. The story of “The Nutcracker” has its roots in “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” written in 1816 by E.T.A. Hoffmann. The ballet tells the tale of a young girl, named Clara, who is given the gift of a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve. Clara’s beloved toy then battles the Mouse King. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the score See “Nutcracker” pg 6
-*&9.3, (441.3,
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Engle Printing Co
& ).;.8.43 4+ 2&79.3 &551.&3(*
POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER NOV. 1, 2023
Postal Patron
WAR
“Relationship building is important at school. We want kids to feel noticed and appreciated.” “My goal has been to meet with every student individually,” said Bropst. “I ask them, ‘How’s the seventh grade? How’s your locker? How’s your planner? What do you like doing? How do you like to spend your time?’ I also like to ask them follow-up questions. Then the last thing I ask them is, ‘Do you have any idea what you’d like to do for a career?’ We know it can change, but it’s neat to hear the responses.” One of two school counselors at Warwick Middle School, Bropst works with the school’s entire seventh-grade class, approximately 300 students. She characterized what she does as a “liaison,” a “point person,” a “sounding board.” The Warwick School District employs a total of 10 school counselors, throughout its six buildings, as well as seven school psychologists.
GiGi’s Playhouse is spreading its wings GiGi’s Playhouse is moving. Not far. Just right next door. But its new space will be significantly bigger, which will permit it to do what it does best, better. “It means we’re not going anywhere,” said GiGi’s Playhouse of Lancaster’s program coordinator, Alisha Fitzwater. “We’re really grounded here in Lancaster with families and volunteers and everything. ... We provide a lifetime commitment to our families, from prenatal all the way up to adults. Once we meet a family, we want to be here for the whole family the rest of the way.” GiGi’s Playhouse, Down Syndrome Achievement Center of Lancaster, recently entered into a seven-year agreement to lease a 7,400-squarefoot space at 2501 Oregon Pike, Lancaster. That building will offer three times the space that GiGi’s Playhouse currently occupies at 2503 Oregon Pike. While the move has already begun, it can’t be completed until a few construction and technical
BY JEFF FALK
VOL LXIV • NO 35
WWW. PDUWLQKHDWLQJFRROLQJ FRP _
R101328 R101 R10 R R1 101 110 001328 3 8 32
townlively.com