Flashing lights, catchy songs, choreographed dances, and a powerful message were all a part of the show presented by the JLINE Dance Crew out of New York City.
The group entertained Western Wayne Middle School students in grades 6 through 8 on Thursday, Nov. 11, at a school assembly in the gym. Show creator and lead performer JLINE sang through a variety of songs for the students including some popular cover songs like “This is Me” and others that he wrote with a powerful message about anti-bullying.
JLINE had two back-up dancers in the show Darby Fulcher and Carrie Lee. The group led by JLINE performed high energy songs to engage the students.
“There was a lot of bullying in my school,” JLINE explained to the kids before starting the performance. “I got through it with song and dance. I think dance and music unite us all.”
After the musical portion of the show, JLINE told more of his story to the students. He explained that he experienced so much bullying as a boy in his school, in a small town in upstate New York, that he shut down and didn’t really speak to anyone for two years.
To get him to open up, his parents got him involved in cross country running, Taekwondo, and theater.
“I’m so lucky my parents believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” he told the students. JLINE believes that his involvement in these three activities greatly influenced his path in life and helped him to get where he is today creating shows to spread a powerful message to students.
After JLINE spoke, dancer Carrie Lee told the students about an experience she faced in school where she took a long time to stand up for another student she saw her friends repeatedly making fun of.
“It was just easier to walk away and pretend it wasn’t happening,” Carrie explained but then discussed how she finally decided to make a change and stand up for the student even if it meant losing friends. “I learned it’s not enough to just avoid bullying. You need to stand up for each other. You can be that one person to stand up for someone else.”
Fellow dancer Darby Fulcher was the last performer to speak to the students. She explained to them how she struggled greatly with her academics in school, but, in the end, graduated in the top of her class.
“If you have a roadblock in your life, push through it” Darby told the students. “Don’t give up.”
Western Wayne administration, faculty, and staff hope the messages presented to their students help them to develop as individuals who want to show kindness to others and persevere even in difficult situations.
From left: JLINE performs with dancers Darby Fulcher and Carrie Lee for Western Wayne Middle School students at an assembly on Thursday, November 11.

Western Wayne Middle School students learned about the time and effort it takes to have a career as a published author on Tuesday, Nov. 16, when award-winning author J. E. Thompson spoke to them. Thompson told the students about his latest book Buccaneer’s Spit. In the novel, two teenagers work to save a spit of land in South Carolina from a developer who wants to take it over.
Thompson explained that his books are mystery, thriller stories. He told the students about the process he goes through to write a novel. He explained that he likes to start by creating characters that readers will care about. Then he creates a large problem for those characters to overcome, and, as he writes, he discovers how his characters will overcome the obstacles they face. Thompson explained to the students the many times a writer has to edit, revise, and rewrite a story before it is finally published.
“Imagination is one of the greatest skills you’ve got,” Thompson told the students. “If you have a great imagination, you can figure things out and be a good problem solver.”
The students had the chance to purchase a signed copy of one of Thompson’s novels after the presentation. Many of them are excited to read a book from an author they have met. Thompson’s other two published novels are The Girl From Felony Bay and its sequel Disappearance at Hangman’s Bluff.
Thompson let the students know that his next book is set in the woods of rural Pennsylvania.
“There is so much beauty out here [where you live] that I am fascinated by,” Thompson told the students. “You are lucky to live here.”