Dist. 200 puts on showcase at Banana Republic

Shoppers at a Wheaton department store might have thought they had stumbled upon a flash mob, or, rather, a flash mini-mob.

In the middle of racks of clothing at Banana Republic, four Franklin Middle School students sang and danced as part of a small showcase of Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 programs.

As seventh-graders Sharon Johnson and Lia Lian and eighth-graders Kumba Queewa and Rokaya Al Nusseirawi provided the entertainment, representatives from the school district’s Special Olympics teams and the NEW 200 Foundation, a fundraising group that hands out grants to help programs throughout the district, talked to shoppers and others about the work they do and also sought volunteers.

Additionally, artwork from elementary and middle school students were posted on the walls for shoppers to check out.

Director of Public Relations Erica Foreman said she hopes to repeat the event at least once per year.

“It’s to connect with people in the community so they can see what District 200 is all about and all the different things we have going on,” she said.

As the four English Language Learning students sang, ELL teacher Mary Sunday said watching them develop the ability to sing in front of others has been fun to watch.

In January, after their class visited University of Illinois at Chicago, many seeing a college for the first time in their lives, they had a long bus ride home.

It was on that trip that Sunday said she heard their voices together and was impressed. She asked them to audition for a variety show at the school and they were chosen.

“We try to build confidence and try and just get them involved in extracurricular activities,” Sunday said. “It’s so they feel a part of the community and a part of the Franklin community.”

The singers are far from their homes. Kumba hails from West Africa, Rokaya from Iraq, Lia from Burma and Sharon from Ivory Coast. They come from different backgrounds and are part of a population at the school that has endured rough times to make it to Franklin.

As they have gotten to know each other, however, Lia said they have come together behind one common trait.

“We all like to sing and we want to perform,” Lia said. “We just love to sing and singing is our dream.”