"Willy Wonka Jr." Gives The Healdsburg School a Chance to Shine

“Think positive!” sings Charlie Bucket, lead character in ’s production of “Willy Wonka Jr.” staged last weekend for two nights, with more than 60 students taking part in the production.

Played by second-grader Jake Gordon, Charlie—on quest to possess one-of-five golden tickets for admission into the wonderful world of Willy Wonka’s famous candy factory—keeps hope alive as golden tickets are found around the world by others.  He reminds the audience of the power of positive thought, ultimately finding the fifth and final ticket. 

The younger adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which has been made into a motion picture twice.  The play was held on the campus, due to the absence of performance space at The Healdsburg School.

 “The messages in the show complement how we teach our students at THS as an IB candidate school,” said Connie Schlotthauer, the school’s music director.  The Healdsburg School was recently accepted by the International Baccalaureate Organization as a candidate school for its Primary Years Programme. 

The arts, according to Sandi Passalacqua, are an integral component to the school’s curriculum. “We certainly understand how beneficial the arts are in aiding the learning process,” said Passalacqua, whose title is Founder and Head of School. 

“We offer a robust music program as part of our rigorous academics,” she said. “Studies have shown that students who have an understanding and mastery of music and the performing arts tend to excel in their understanding of the classic subjects such as reading, math and science.”

The Healdsburg School’s integrated curriculum teaches fundamental concepts by involving children in exciting hands-on projects drawn from a broad range of disciplines, including the arts. Its mission is “Inspiring Compassionate Leaders Through Academic Excellence.”