Hey Park Maitland Parents:

Follow the Yellow Rick Road!

A Blog About A New All-Access Documentary

Starring Rick Springfield and His Devoted Fans

Written By Melanie Lentz-Janney (Drake Bal’s mom, 3-Red)

Yellow Rick Road Productions, Executive Producer

While I was a sophomore at Trinity Prep back in 1981, I went to a Rick Springfield concert and was absolutely transformed.  I studied his tour program and swore to anyone who would listen to me that one day I would work with him.  In 2010, that dream became a reality when I spent 7 months on the road with Rick producing a film about holding on to our dreams.

Many of Rick Springfield’s fans lost sight of him in the mid-80s.  I never did. In the last few years, I discovered thousands and thousands of other people who felt the same way I did.  Unfortunately, most people know Rick as the soap star who had that one hit “Jessie’s Girl.”  When in fact, Rick has had 17 top 40 hits, was a HUGE star in Australia in the 1960s, had a #1 hit and a cartoon starring Rick in the early 1970s, and writes all of his own music.

Having been a publicist for most of my career, it has been a mission of mine to let the world see what Rick’s loyal fans have known for years. Rick Springfield is an amazing talent as well as a great human being, who has made and continues to make a positive impact on so many of people’s lives.

Here lies the premise of my new all-access feature documentary.  Tentatively titled, “An Affair of the Heart”, the film sheds light on just what it means to be a devoted fan and the power of music in our lives.

Filming of our documentary began in Milwaukee the beginning of May 2010 and ended on the 3^rd Annual Rick Springfield and Friends Cruise in mid November 2010.  Our company is called Yellow Rick Road Productions and my partner is Sylvia Caminer, an award winning producer/director who has spent the past few years working on feature documentaries.

Our production crew followed Rick to Milwaukee, Dallas, New York City, Europe (Sweden, Norway, Germany), Chicago, upstate New York, central New Jersey, Los Angeles, and to Rick’s home in Malibu.  We filmed his concerts, his book tour (he became a New York Times Best-Selling Author with the release of his memoir, “Late, Late at Night” in October 2010) and interviewed fans of all ages and both sexes (professionals, parents, actors, friends of Rick’s and, of course, Rick).

There is a VIP website set up where members get a behind the scenes look at he making of our film.  The lifetime fee for membership is $49.95 and offers VIP’s exclusive stories, photos, videos, as well as special member only news, contests, and merchandise opportunities.  All money raised on this site and through any of our fan-funding efforts is directly applied to our production costs. The VIP website address is www.rickspringfielddoc.com/vip-crew-access.

In addition, to stay current with the filming process, you may follow the “Yellow Rick Road” on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for free.  Just do a search on those specific sites or go to our official website www.rickspringfielddoc.com and click on the social media icons located on the upper right side of the home page.

We are currently editing our film, which will be released later this year.  We plan to debut it at a top international film festival, followed by broadcasting on a national cable television network outlet, and then distributed through DVD sales and rentals.

You may watch a 9-minute teaser of our film at www.rickspringfielddoc.com.

We are still looking for investors.  If you would like more information, please email me at Melanie@yellowrickroad.com.

A special thanks to Mary Margaret for asking me to write this blog.

Park Maitland Alum Jesse Wolfe is a Movie Maker!

His role in the six grade musical production of Fiddler on the Roof has long since concluded. However, Park Maitland School alum Jesse Wolfe has continued to hone the skills and abilities that were first developed in Park Maitland School’s drama program. Jesse, now 41, is the writer and director of EYE OF THE HURRICANE, a family adventure set in the days following a major Florida hurricane strike.

Jesse has returned to Florida after 15 years in Hollywood where he worked for major entertainment companies such as Castle Rock Entertainment. He worked on the creation and production of multiple film and television projects during his time there. Jesse also received his Masters Degree in Film Direction from the American Film Institute. His current movie, EYE OF THE HURRICANE , is slated to begin filming in October. The movie has been a special “Florida” project that Jesse first began working on over eight years ago after being inspired by a photo from the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.

“Getting a new movie project started is always a challenge. It’s a puzzle to fit together all the creative and business pieces, but film financing is especially tough in the current economy,” said Jesse.

His producer, Susan Johnson, credits Jesse’s strong original screenplay with attracting a stellar cast of fine actors to the production. The cast and script combination, in turn, have enabled the movie to raise interest from private investors that are passionate about the project and independent film. “We’ve been very fortunate to complete most of our needed funding so quickly,” states Ms. Johnson, “and we have our fingers crossed that the remaining investor units will soon be funded.”

“We can’t wait to be on location with cast, crew and cameras rolling in October. Coming back for this project is like a homecoming of sorts that’s been decades in the making,” said Jesse.

The independent film is being produced by Ms. Susan Johnson of Braveart Films and is starring Campbell Scott (Singles, Dying Young, Rodger Dodger, Big Night, Longtime Companion, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, Damages {FX} and Royal Pains{USA}) and Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures, Ever After, Coyote Ugly, Sweet Home Alabama, Flags of Our Fathers, Away We Go, The Informant, and Up In The Air, “The Shield” Psych” and “The L Word” and the Emmy Award-winning “Two and a Half Men”).

For more information, contact Sean Myers, Executive Producer, at 407-252-9802 or        smyers@braveartfilms.com

“Best of the Best” – Quick Note from Head of School

The following is from Head of School Mrs. Cindy Moon.

Parents, your investment in your child’s education at Park Maitland is a clear sign that you want what’s best for his/her future.  The strongest factors that drive success for children and schools are factors that distinguish our school from other school venues.  After carefully studying the results and feedback from our most recent Parent Survey, it is clear that you value our school program and the essence of our success.  There is always something extraordinary happening at Park Maitland School, and our students and teachers are the reason for it.  The personal achievements of our students, as well as ones we accomplish as a school are all things of which we can be proud.

One major accomplishment for Park Maitland School is that we were just named the #1 Best Private School (K-8) in Central Florida by the readers of Orlando Magazine!  This exciting news can be found in the August, 2010 edition of the magazine, just hitting newsstands now!  Hurray!

At school, it is that time in the cycle of the year when plans are busily being forged and dreams brought into focus — time to simultaneously look ahead while looking back.  As I reflect on the tremendous accomplishments of this past school year, I eagerly anticipate more extraordinary things to come.  While we bask in the glory of a banner school year, we are carefully scrutinizing every aspect of our program as we strive to perfect the educational experience for your child.  Our accomplishments last year were outstanding!

Our students constantly impress us with their outstanding academic and artistic accomplishments. Last year, our students continued to soar with reading... topping record high points in our “Accelerated Reader Club,” earned quite enviable rankings in the state math competitions, published beautiful creative writing and poetry, and impressed accomplished scientists with their Science Expo projects.  We wowed the community with outstanding visual art displays, spirited intramural sports and swim competitions, and our famed musical production of Fiddler On the Roof.

Park Maitland students grew not only academically, artistically, and physically, but also emotionally, morally, and ethically.  Last year, our service to the local community and global outreach continued to grow. We are honored and excited to be breaking ground on our school in India as this is being written.  We are so excited to begin a relationship with our new friends in the tiny village of Udawad (pronounced oo-dah-ved).  Mrs. Liz Kleppin, business manager and her daughter, Dr. Sara Dodson, visited Udawad just two weeks ago and brought back wonderful photos, video, and hearts full of joy that our school is helping the adorable children they were able to meet.  Park Maitland’s students will be able to write to their new friends and enjoy a cross-cultural relationship with a shared purpose — education — and, with it, the hope for a better future for these poor children.

As summer comes to a close, we are excited by our past accomplishments, and look forward to a bright, inspiring new year!

Writing for an Audience

In keeping with news about our teachers continuing to develop professionally over the summer, Grade 6 English and Reading teacher Mrs. Bess Auer is no exception. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Auer is a published novelist and freelance writer who runs her own blog about living in Central Florida. Her “Top 5″ blog was voted “Best Neighborhood Blog” by the Orlando Sentinel this past year, and so she was invited to be a presenter at the Public Relations Society of America and the Florida Public Relations Association’s annual Media Round Table.  

Mrs. Auer was  featured alongside reporters from CBS Radio, People Magazine, Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Magazine, the Daily Buzz, and several other media outlets. Marketing professionals came from all over Central Florida to attend the meeting, including those from Disney, Nickelodeon, as well as the new Nemours Hospital getting ready to open.  Mrs. Auer gave advice to hundreds of PR professionals on how to write their press releases and pitch their stories in such a way as to catch the media’s eye.

This is the same advice Mrs. Auer gives to her students about writing effectively for a real audience. Park Maitland believes strongly that each of its students must have accomplished writing skills no matter what line of work they will eventually pursue. (You never know; they might just end up teaching English, as Mrs. Auer has…and she is a Park Maitland alumni!) 

Bess Auer (right) interacting with marketing professionals during one of the sessions. Photo provided by the Florida Public Relations Association.

Focusing on Foreign Languages!

Like many of our teachers who use the summer to continue to develop their field of expertise, Spanish teacher Mrs. Sandrine Butler uses her time for international travel.  Mrs. Butler, who speaks five languages fluently (and maybe more!), travels each school break to different countries to not only brush up on her study of language, but also to become immersed in the culture. She then brings this knowledge back to the classroom to enrich her students’ study of foreign language.

Mrs. Butler has traveled on several occasions to India, China, and especially the many different Spanish-speaking countries of the world.

Mrs. Butler's group on a recent trip to Machu Picchu

This summer Mrs. Butler is in Europe, visiting her family and friends in France. We miss you, Mrs. Butler, but can’t wait for you to bring your renewed excitement for languages and different cultures back to your classroom!

Curtains Up!

One of Park Maitland’s music teachers, Mr. Stephen Nelson, has been busy teaching summer theater camps again this summer at the Orlando Repertory Theatre.  This summer he is leading three fun camps.  

Starting last month, the first theater camp was based on The Magic Treehouse “Amazon Adventure” for children going into 1st and 2nd grade. The second camp, “Scooby Doo and Mystery, Too,” was for children going into 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades.  

Next up is “Adventures with Percy Jackson and the Olympians” for upper elementary.  Mr. Nelson knows mythology is a great theme for creative dramatics, especially with the recent success of the Percy Jackson book series and film. This camp was the first to fill early this spring. In fact, many of Park Maitland’s children got to meet Percy Jackson’s creator, New York Times best-selling author Rick Riordan, when he came to speak at the Winter Park Public Library in 2008.

Author Rick Riordan.

Mr. Nelson has worked for Orlando Rep since its days as the Civic Theatre of Central Florida spending 13 years as music director.  This summer is his 25th summer teaching creative dramatics!  In 2003, Mr. Nelson was honored with the Distinguished Theatre Career Award, for his work with youth theatre. He has influenced the singing and acting careers of many, including opera singer Janette Zilioli.

Janette Zilioli on stage.

A Future Poet Laureate?

W.S. Merwin

Congratulations to W.S. Merwin for being named the new U.S. Poet Laureate, replacing Kay Ryan. While Merwin is does not write children’s poetry, much of his poetry does focus on family and the fleeting moments we have with our aging parents.

At Park Maitland, students learn about the Poet Laureates and focus on poetry along with other types of writing. Students learn the basic styles of traditional poetry, both rhyming and nonrhyming, as well as studying the great poets such as Shel Silverstein, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, Edgar Alan Poe, and Rudyard Kipling to name just a few. Students also spend time writing their own poetry, growing more complex in their styles each year.

The U.S. Poet Laureate is a very honored position, dating back to 1943 with poet Joseph Auslander. With his 2010 appointment, W.S. Merwin joins a very prestigious group of poets. Here is an interview NPR did with Merwin last year, shortly after he won the Pulitzer Prize.

We know several of our students are spending time this summer writing poetry about their time at the beach, playing at home, traveling with their siblings. Perhaps there is a future Poet Laureate among them!

Park Maitland Alum Stars in New Disney Movie!

Those of us that remember Mandy Moore’s sweet face sitting in our classes, get a special thrill every time we see her gracing the cover of Cosmo, singing on Mtv, guest starring on Grey’s Anatomy, or starring in a blockbuster movie! That said, her latest Hollywood venture is an animated Disney movie about Rapunzel, and it looks very promising. Here’s a sneak peek:

“Good luck and Godspeed”

Written and delivered by Park Maitland alumnus Dylan Rhodes, who is a National Merit Finalist and distinguished graduate of Phillips Academy Andover.

Graduates, family, and friends, I am Dylan Rhodes, Park Maitland Class of 2004. Many of you know me personally, and let me say preemptively that, yes, I have grown quite a bit since I left. For those of you who didn’t know a small, big-eared kid who combed back and parted his hair every morning, don’t worry, I know that we share a lot in common. I know that because every person in this room is connected. Just by virtue of being here, you have all illustrated a commitment to quality education and the academics. Park Maitland stands for excellence in those areas, and we are all linked together through the school.

Now the fact that I am speaking at a graduation ceremony might give some of you the impression that today, our sixth graders will be leaving us. I want to assure you that this is not the case. Today’s graduation is the first of many steps for the class of 2010, but from experience, I can tell you that they will never really be leaving Park Maitland for good. What’s more, to the graduates now, you shouldn’t. Look around, you have a lot of friends in this room. Tonight may be the last time you attend school together, but that’s not a reason to cut off your connections. You’ve spent some great years with these people, and you should not let these relationships go to waste.

Further, to those of you who might be worried because next year marks the first separation from many of your friends, don’t be. As someone who goes to school a thousand miles away from here, I can tell you that distance is not an obstacle to friendship, and the people you’re sitting with now can easily still be at your side in six years. Moreover, regardless of whether you visit Park Maitland ten times next year or none at all, the school is not going to leave you. Park Maitland has taught you all values that you will always hold dear.

When I left this place, it looked vastly different. The new gymnasium, music classrooms, and athletic fields have all grown up since I departed, but Park Maitland is still the same place. Were I to begin K-4 next fall, I suspect that I would learn the same values of cooperation and respect that I took away six years ago. What’s more, I never left those values behind, and neither will any of you. There’s not so much distance between me today and that big-eared kid who was run over by Big Bertha in the mulch.

Come back, though. Come back to see the people you leave behind here. Come back because you learned something. Come back because you had fun. I was only the bartender and man-singing-badly-in-the-background in my sixth grade play, but I had the time of my life that night. The best way to remember the good times is to go back to the places they happened. I’ll tell you right now that you may never have another roller skating party and that’s perfectly fine. Just because it won’t happen again, though, doesn’t mean that you should forget it. So come back and visit if it’s at all possible and keep your Parkie friends close.

That said, next year will be different. Middle school will be a very new experience for all of you. You’ll no longer be the big men on campus, and that’s a tough transition to make. Middle school will in many ways be harder than the schooling you’ve had up until now and there will be more pressure on most of you to succeed. The next two years will be important for you all. That said, take some time for yourselves over the next few years. Junior high should be time you take to find your interests.

Some of you may already be passionate about something, and that’s great. You already have a huge head start. When I was in your shoes here, though, I had absolutely no idea how I would want to spend my time. Before seventh grade, I didn’t know what computer science was, yet now I’ve decided to make it my prospective major next year in college. Similarly, I had never tried debate or Ultimate Frisbee before high school. But now, those are some of my favorite activities. It took a lot of sampling to find things I truly enjoy, but all of that experimenting was time well spent.

As you get older there are more and more clubs, sports, and activities to participate in. Even for those of you who already have a passion, keep an open mind. You have time to try everything, and you never know what you’ll enjoy. Despite that advice, don’t take yourselves too seriously. You don’t need to be Tiger Woods or Michael Phelps two years from now. Take time to just hang out with your friends or watch a movie. In many ways, that’s what middle school is about. Make time for your friends and make new ones. Next year you’ll all be meeting a lot of new people. Don’t be intimidated; they’re all like you, and I guarantee that some of them will soon be your best friends. Keep your Parkie friends close, but always be prepared to meet new people.

My final message to the graduates is to remember the people who have gotten you here. This ceremony is a celebration of the culmination of your work here at Park Maitland, yes, but you didn’t get to this stage alone. Look at the audience. By this point, your parents have probably picked you up and dropped you off to school, sports, and sleepovers about a thousand times. They’ve probably made about ten times as many cupcakes as most people do in a lifetime and heard fifty nifty more times than the Star Spangled Banner. Now I’m not suggesting that they weren’t happy to do all of that for you, because they were, and they’re here tonight because they love you and care about your success. However, let’s be honest, all of the parents here tonight deserve your thanks, both for the things they have done and the things they will do for you. You aren’t going to need any fewer cupcakes now that you’re not at Park Maitland anymore. So, take the time tonight to thank your parents, and maybe your Washington chaperone, and maybe the person who helped you with makeup before the play. They’ve earned it ten times just today.

There’s another contingency here that deserves recognition, and that’s the people who work at Park Maitland. I know they were there for me when I dislocated my thumb playing soccer in PE, when I tried to write a twenty page paper in third grade because I really didn’t know when to stop back then, and yes, when I hit a kid with my lunchbox and had to go to the office. I would bet that all of you have been helped by the teachers, staff, and administrators here today, without whom you wouldn’t have had a play, a beach sleepover, a trip to Williamsburg, sports fest, or the Winter Ball, just to name a few. Without these people, Q & U would have never gotten married!

Joking aside, the men and women in this room have each made lasting contributions to your education, and they all ought to have your respect and gratitude. That’s why I’ll start off the thanks tonight. I’d like to thank Ms. Betsy Harbin, Colleen Finwall, Sandra Farkash, Bess Auer, Sharon Ventimiglia, and Coach Kevin Meisel for their stunning contributions to my own education as well as Park Maitland as a whole. I’d also like to thank my family in the audience for putting up with me, and all of the faculty, staff, and administrators here who helped make me the person I am today. Finally, to those of you still awake, thanks for hearing me out.

To the class of 2010: Good luck and Godspeed.

Park Maitland Helps Wishes Come True…

In addition to helping globally, such as building a school for needy children in India, Park Maitland feels strongly about helping locally, too. In addition to the numerous local volunteer and charity projects our staff and students are in involved with throughout the school year, the school’s administration attended the Wishmaker’s Ball on May 15 at the Waldorf Astoria. This gala event raises funds for the North and Central Florida chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Park Maitland parent Mrs. Suzanne Funke was the chairperson while Park Maitland’s Mrs. Davina Spillman, as well several other Park Maitland parents, served on the committee.  The Ball was an outstanding success and a good time was had by all. What a lovely way to help make young ones’ wishes come true!

Park Maitland supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.