Feb 28: JuJu House at Brent ES
The Brent Elementary Bears kindergarten and first grade classes joined JuJu in their multipurpose space for an afternoon Teach the Beat session. JuJu’s interactive experience had students and teachers clapping and stomping their feet to make the beats JuJu was teaching them. In groups of seven, Brent Bears created go-go bands, first selecting their names, — Go-Go Bananas, Go-Go Terrific Students, Go-Go Girls & Boys, and many more — and then learning the beat they would perform for the rest of the 113 students in the audience. Band after Band had a turn shaking, tapping, or clapping a go-go musical instrument.
In between sets, JuJu quizzed the students. Holding up a photo of Chuck Brown, JuJu asked, “Can anyone tell me who this person is?” To his surprise, the students yelled, “Chuck Brown!”
JuJu went on to explain that Chuck Brown is known as The Godfather of Go-Go.
JuJu taught beats, engaged the bands, and taught the students happy feet, a go-go dance.
“If I say ‘Sardines’ what comes next?” JuJu asked the students. With exuberance the teachers and staff in the room yelled, “And Pork and Beans!” Together teachers and JuJu taught students this infamous call & response, answering questions like, “What are sardines?”
After 45 minutes of an engaging session, JuJu said farewell to the Brent Elementary Bears as they exited the cafeteria.
At different times, teachers and staff filtered in and out of the cafeteria. One staff member stopped Keesha Ceran, associate director of Teaching for Change, and asked, “Is that JuJu?” Upon hearing confirmation, the thrilled staff member shared, “I met Sugar Bear three times and now JuJu is in our school. That’s very cool.”