500 signatures reached
To: The East Grand School District
Petition to get Middle Park Theater Reinstated with Christal McDougall
We, the undersigned students, parents, alumni, and community members, are deeply concerned about the decision to terminate our dedicated theater director, Christal McDougall. This decision would be detrimental to the future of the theater department at Middle Park High School.
Why is this important?
Theater is not just an extracurricular activity—it is an essential form of expression, education, and community. The benefits of theater go far beyond the stage. It:
- Develops Confidence and Communication Skills: Students learn to speak clearly, think critically, and present themselves professionally—skills that benefit all future careers.
- Promotes Teamwork and Responsibility: Theater demands collaboration, time management, and commitment from every participant, teaching students to work together toward a common goal.
- Fosters Empathy and Creativity: Acting and storytelling help students explore different perspectives, emotions, and cultures, making them more understanding and open-minded individuals.
- Provides a Safe Space: For many students, theater is a safe and welcoming community where they feel accepted, supported, and inspired.
- Strengthens School Spirit and Community Engagement: Performances bring students, staff, families, and the wider community together in celebration of student talent and hard work.
- Christal McDougall has poured her heart and soul into this program. She has mentored countless students, created award-winning productions, and built a program that feels like home to so many.
- She has gone above and beyond her job description—spending long hours rehearsing, fundraising, and ensuring every student felt seen and supported.
- Her passion, dedication, and belief in her students have left a lasting impact that cannot be replaced.
- Terminating our director is not only unjust, but it also undermines the hard work, dreams, and futures of dozens of students.
- Canceling the program sends the wrong message: that the arts—and the people who lead them—are disposable.
We urge you to reverse this decision. Keep our theater program alive, and reinstate Christal McDougall to her rightful place—leading a stage full of potential, creativity, and hope.
Eliminating the theater program would take away an invaluable opportunity for personal growth and artistic development. It would silence student voices, limit creative outlets, and send a harmful message that the arts are not essential.
We urge you to reconsider this decision and explore alternative solutions—such as fundraising, sponsorships, or program restructuring—rather than canceling the program entirely.