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Hilltop third-graders portray famous Americans
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.A third-grade Hilltop Elementary School student portrayed George Washington during the school’s annual Famous Americans program on May 28.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.A third-grade Hilltop Elementary School student dressed as Neil Armstrong for the school’s annual Famous Americans program on May 28.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.A third-grade Hilltop Elementary School student portrayed Jackie Kennedy Onassis during the school’s annual Famous Americans program May 28.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Hilltop Elementary School third-grade students sang patriotic songs during the school’s annual Famous Americans program on May 28.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.As a grand finale to the Hilltop Elementary School’s third-grade Famous Americans program, the students unfolded and held up red, white and blue strips to form a giant paper American flag May 28.
By ABBY SLANKER
Hilltop Elementary School third-grade students paid tribute to famous Americans, past and present, during the school’s 29th annual Famous Americans program on May 28.
“Welcome to our Famous Americans Program. This show could not be performed without many people’s help and I would like to extend our thanks to Mr. Scurich, Mrs. Gregory, our third-grade teachres and of course our third-grade students who have done a great job. We hope you enjoy the program,” said Joe Maroni, Hilltop Elementary School principal.
Each third-grade student was dressed in a costume to portray a famous American figure of his or her choice. The students researched their choice, wrote a speech about him or her and created a costume to wear during the program.
The students chose a range of famous Americans, from entertainers to presidents, from singers to athletes, from stage and screen legends to inventors, from artists to authors and from military heroes to astronauts. Some of the famous Americans chosen by the students included John Phillip Sousa, Neil Armstrong, Dr. Seuss, Helen Keller, Maria Tallchief, Hank Aaron, Jim Henson, Sojourner Tate, Rosa Parks, Pocahontas, Margaret Mead and Molly Brown.
To start the show, the Parade of Flags was presented. As a carrier and a guard escorted the flag down the aisle, a narrator gave the history of each flag. Flags presented included Continental, Gadsden, Grand Union, Betsy Ross, St. George’s Cross, King’s Colors, British Red Ensign, Bennington, Star Spangled Banner, Perry’s Flag, Alamo 1824, Bunker Hill, Rhode Island Regiment, Fort Moultrie, Stars and Bars, Confederate Battle, “48 Star” and Old Glory.
By class, each student took his or her turn at the microphone to give their memorized speech, which included facts that identified his or her famous American, as if the famous American were speaking.
After each class had finished their speeches, the students joined together to sing, led by music teacher Tom Scurich and accompanied by Roni Sue Gregory. Songs included “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Sing a Song of Peace,” “Fifty, Nifty United States,” “Armed Forces Salute” and “God Bless America.”
During “Armed Forces Salute,” Scurich asked members and veterans of the armed forces to stand when their branch of military anthem was sung.
“Parents, grandparents and friends, welcome to our third-grade Famous Americans program. Our next selection is a tribute to the armed forces. It has become a very meaningful and wonderful tradition here at Hilltop. I would like to invite our honored veterans in the audience to stand when the anthem which represents your branch of the armed services in which you served is sung,” Scurich said.
Before the “Armed Forces Salute” commenced, Scurich asked for a moment of silence as the POW/MIA flag was presented.
As each anthem was performed during the salute, students presented the Army flag, Coast Guard flag, Marine flag, Air Force flag and Navy flag.
As a grand finale to the show, during their final musical selection, the students unfolded and held up red, white and blue strips to form a giant paper American flag, much to the delight of audience members, triggering a standing ovation.