The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Twist on Masked Singer entertains students
Like other districts in Ohio, Painesville City Schools have been forced to finish their school year remotely.
Like other districts throughout Ohio, Painesville City Schools have been forced to finish their 201920 school year remotely due to ongoing novel coronavirus precautions.
But in an attempt to craft new and engaging ways to maintain connections and facilitate good spirits, the Painesville School District has created its own Masked Singer competition.
The event is based on the hit Fox television program of the same name and sees multiple staffers and teachers perform in a singing competition while hidden under elaborate costumes and masks.
“My wife and four kids are all big fans of the (Fox) show,” said Heritage Middle School music and career technical education teacher Ryan Delaney.
The instructor was instrumental in jumpstarting the Painesville version and gathering participants. A wide pool of volunteers was eventually narrowed down to 10 district teacher/staff contestants.
“They’ve really put in a lot of work and done some great stuff with it,” he said. “Designing your costume is a big thing because you’ve got to be able to disguise yourself.
I think our students know us better than we think and know our mannerisms and voices. Disguising our appearances was a challenge but everybody stepped up.
“I’m a music teacher for Painesville, so a lot of these music competitions definitely interest me,” he added. “As we got into virtual learning, I was trying to think of things that would be fun of the kids the engage with their teachers in different ways.”
Delaney explained that easing the volatility most children are experiencing due to social distancing restrictions and offering positive entertainment was an important aspect in crafting the Painesville version of The Masked Singer.
“At least half of what we do is building relationships with students,” he said. “It’s important too, to let them know that we’re human beings as well. We have other interests that we do, but we have to think of them not just as students but young people who have other interests as well.”
Four episodes have aired so far with a competitor being voted off at the end of each one until only one remains. Delaney said that they will be accelerating the voting process and saying goodbye to three competitors in the next episode in order for the finale to align with the end of the school year.
This was done so that students who rely on school-issued computers will be able to vote for whom they feel should win before their materials have to be returned.
The performances are uploaded to the district’s website, YouTube, and computer drives that the students can access.