Public invited to attend Superstorm Sandy play by Beach Haven students

Beach Haven School students will take the stage at the Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven on Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. to perform “Welcome Back,” a docu-play that focuses on the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. The performance is the culmination of an initiative that focuses on the arts as a means of healing and recovery. The public is invited to attend the show, and admission is free.

Photo via Wikipedia
Beach Haven School students perform a
docu-play about Superstorm Sandy at
the Surflight Theatre.

“Our children are resilient, and the experience of processing the events has allowed them to see the good in the world and has taught them to give back,” said Eva Marie Raleigh, school superintendent. “Please join us as we share and memorialize the students’ processing and healing.”

Last fall, the Beach Haven School received a $10,000 Sandy Relief Arts Education Grant from Young Audiences New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. Beach Haven is one of 12 schools in communities affected by Superstorm Sandy (including All Saints Regional Catholic School in Manahawkin) to be awarded the grant.

Following the storm, the Beach Haven School students and staff relocated to the Eagleswood Township Elementary School while the Island building underwent water damage repairs. After returning to the Beach Haven School in September, the students and staff worked with Eloise Bruce, poet and playwright with Young Audiences, to process the devastating events they experienced.

Through planned lessons aligned to the Common Core standards, the students conducted interviews of first responders and individuals who lived through Sandy as well as the devastating Nor’easter of 1962. The students also shared their experiences and memories through written essays, which have led to the production of “Welcome Back.” 

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.