There is a reason that Cora says “Wuk! Wuk!” whenever she puts on a school backpack. Learning is taken very seriously at Sunbright school. It is not all fun and games. It is Work.Dancing is an important subject at the school. Students are expected to have mastered the basics of tap dancing, ballet, swing, and ballroom dancing.
They are likewise required to have cultural competency in dance as well as other domains. Here, Annie attempts to perform a traditional Maori haka.Children are expected to meet appropriate developmental milestones at Sunbright School. In this case, Cora was told to write her name. She has tried to infuse some creativity into the assignment by using different colors of play dough, and has rebelled by using her self-designated nickname rather than her proper name. She was given a stern lecture and was appropriately contrite, as seen above.Annie shows off her art projects while her sister does yoga in the background. In an effort to stimulate a discussion of such basic philosophical questions as “what are we?” and “what makes a human being a human?” Annie has created a pair of mutant grandparents, with a Mimi who has a watermelon instead of a torso, and a Baba who has a fish for a torso. As a true artist, she does not choose to tell the public the significance of her artistic choices, but rather leaves the discerning viewer to interpret these effigies for him or herself.
Annie does yoga too. With her usual can-do, bend-the-rules-until-they-break-into-pieces mindset, she is choosing to do yoga on the coffee table, as it is one of the few places in the house where she is forbidden to climb or sit.
The neighbors have thoughtfully drawn out an obstacle course on the sidewalk. Students at Sunbright are expected to complete the obstacle course without mistakes. Mistakes are not tolerated at Sunbright School!Annie puts down the Jane Austen novel she was perusing in her free time in order to read a book to her sister.For Exercise at Sunbright School, Cora is forced to push her sister around in a stroller. Exhausted by the exertion as she pushes through the hot sun, her clothes in tatters, Cora slogs on, knowing that quitting is not permitted at Sunbright School.Rain or shine, students are expected to go outside. The water has soaked through Cora’s worn-out shoes and her thin socks. Her toes are cold and wet. But she does not complain.Days are long and hard, and sometimes the sisters have to escape the rigorous environment by sneaking off behind the couch together.
