KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
Members of the circus visited a metro school Thursday to talk about their international roots.
Students at Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School in Kansas City, MO, got to clown around at school without getting in trouble.
"It was awesome. (I liked) when he juggled so fast it was like vvvvv (waves hands around quickly and makes sound)," one little boy said.
"I liked everything," a young girl said.
"My favorite part was when the dancers came," another little girl said.
Some special visitors from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus started off by showing the students all about staying circus fit, like performers must do to perfect their acts. And the two biggest stars of the show were the Fernandez Brothers. One of the most exciting and daring stunts they perform high above the crowds in their show is one they learned from their father who began his career as a circus performer in Mexico.
"My dad all his life was in the circus so when I grew up, I grew up in the circus. We've always been around circus so when I was 14, I started practicing and working with my brother, he started practicing when he was 17. Now we've been working for Ringling Bros. for four years now. Working all around the country and in other countries is really fun and amazing," circus performer Guillermo Fernandez said.
The majority of the children at Holy Cross are immigrants to the United States, the largest group being Latino, so their principal said the students were inspired to learn the circus has performers from 17 different countries.
"I always tell them, ‘Why not you?' You can do anything you want to do, you need a good education. Let's leap from the right platform - education is what we need,'" Principal Jean Ferrera said.
The majority of the school's students speak two or more languages and live in homes at or below the poverty level. While the students and staff may not have a lot to work with, that hasn't stopped them from working to make their school ideal for learning and growing.
A parent built soccer goals for the school out of PVC pipes, but they have no nets. The school's physical education teacher cleans the gym's floor every day because there is no janitor.
The children enthusiastically said their special visitors hit it right on the nose by encouraging them to be anything they want to be in this circus we call life.
"That's what we tell the children, just whatever you like practice, try harder and get it out there. Stop playing computers and video games, just go out and do something," Fernandez said.
"(I learned that) no matter what, you shouldn't give up," one student said.
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