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Stockwell showcase

By Bob McDonnell

The Surveyor

The month of May is traditionally time for many year-end events at schools, and Ivy Stockwell Elementary in Berthoud is no exception.

On Friday, May 17, the Ivy Stockwell fifth graders held their annual showcase. This year the evening included all fifth graders, researching and dressing as a famous person, a surprise slide show and singing.

The two Ivy Stockwell fifth-grade teachers, Dean Book and Angie Vincent, organized the project in which students selected a famous person to portray.

The teachers gave the students a list of potential people to research. Information for these notables was available in the school library, at the public library in Berthoud and, of course, on the Internet.

A tour of the Ivy Stockwell gymnasium found students dressed and acting like a variety of people. This included Helen Keller, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, Harry Houdini, Thomas Edison, Annie Oakley, Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, John Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth, Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Ronald Reagan, Daniel Boone, John Deere, both of the Wright brothers and more.

The teachers indicated the students tended to pick personalities that had interests similar to their own.

Mathew Haberkon dressed as Elvis Presley, complete with a white jump suit his grandmother made. Speaking of Elvis, Haberkon said he” likes his songs.”

Kvonta Dusharm was a convincing Louis Armstrong. Dusharm found many “really interesting facts” about Armstrong during the research phase of the project.

Markli Sommers was Marian Anderson, the singer. Sommers has been “singing since she was real little” so this led to her selection of Anderson.

Aspirations to be an author led Luke Kline to portray Mark Twain (gray eyebrows and mustache included.) Kline wants to write children’s fiction. He found Twain to be “an interesting guy.”

Indigo Spirit has “lots of the same passions” as Leonardo Da Vinci, including painting and inventing.

Richard Schiraldi likes to write, so William Shakespeare was a logical choice for his character. Schiraldi likes to read poetry. He called Shakespeare “one of the best writers of all times.”

Drew Anna went all out when she decided to research Helen Keller. She knew Keller would be a challenge. Anna found a book written in Braille in the Berthoud library and had it with her. She said she “didn’t think she (Keller) did much, but she did.”

Betsy Ross and fifth grader Clara Sullivan both “like to sew,” according to Clara. She held a flag as she sat in the gym answering questions about the person she chose.

A highlight of the evening was a surprise slide show created and produced by parents. The montage of class pictures, school pictures and candid shots over the years brought cheers and laughs from the students as they viewed the show for the first time.

The evening wrapped up with singing by some of the students.

The ending time at Ivy Stockwell for these students is fast approaching. This night will add to their elementary school memories.