Saturday, April 23, 2011
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Union kindergarteners Aiden Davis (left), JP Genova, Francesca Rubesa, and Elizabeth Harger welcomed family and friends to their singing event on April 14.
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Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, or Andy Clark (right), just like the nursery rhyme, had a wife but couldn’t keep her. His wife during the poem was Lara Munford (left).
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Emily Bayerl proudly played the part of Mary in “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Her lamb is nestled safely in her basket.
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Aiden Davis was the master chef in “Peas Porridge Hot.”
By SARAH FOOR
All of the famous names were there: Little Miss Muffet made an appearance and Humpty Dumpty made a mess as usual. It wasn’t a storybook come to life – it was the kindergartners at Union Elementary starring as the familiar characters of well-known nursery songs and rhymes during their April 14 spring concert.
The kindergartners showed months of hard work memorizing poems, songs and dance moves as they brought the “Hey Diddle-Diddle,” “This Old Man,” and “Old Mother Hubbard,” among many others, to the stage. The students of kindergarten teachers Gina Chiaro, Tina Bonarigo and Erica Donahue each acted out a part in a nursery rhyme.
The program was fun, but also taught a great deal of literacy to the students.
“It’s fun, but it still teaches the kids about rhyming and reading, in an easy to remember and easy to learn way,” Bonarigo explained of the program.
“They definitely have the most fun when they get to dance and be silly,” Donahue added. “The kids acted out the stories of nursery rhymes and we made sure that everyone had a part and a time to shine. They absolutely love performing for the school and their families.”
The show ended with a happy version of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” where the kindergartners marched through the aisles waving ribbons meant to represent the twinkling star of the song. After the show, every student gave a daffodil to a special someone, which was nestled in a shell vase the students had previously decorated.
New principal Mike Masucci said he enjoyed checking in on the kindergartners during the practices before their concert.
“I can personally attest that teaching kindergartners 20-odd nursery rhymes takes a lot of work and an incredible amount of patience,” Masucci said with a laugh.