Students end school year with a show
Calaveras Elementary School students celebrated the end of the
school year June 3 with a talent show at Calaveras Park.
The performances ranged from a Michael Jackson medley by the
fifth-grade students
– such as a couple of moon walkers; groups of girls dancing and
lip-syncing to pop songs; a stand-up comedy routine; and an Aztec
dancer.
Students end school year with a show
Calaveras Elementary School students celebrated the end of the school year June 3 with a talent show at Calaveras Park.
The performances ranged from a Michael Jackson medley by the fifth-grade students – such as a couple of moon walkers; groups of girls dancing and lip-syncing to pop songs; a stand-up comedy routine; and an Aztec dancer.
“We do this every year on the last day,” said Christine White, the principal. “We check out the songs to make sure they are appropriate and watch the movements.”
She said a few of the fourth-graders who performed this year have been participating in the talent show since kindergarten.
“Parents like to come and hang out,” she said. “It’s an early day so the kids go to lunch and then go home.”
Fifth-grade teacher Donna Barry coordinated the talent show along with fellow fifth-grade teacher Donna Rider. Steve Lundquist, a third grade teacher, coordinated the sound for the event.
“Some of the kids start asking about it in the fall,” Barry said. “It’s a chance to get on stage and shine.”
For the show, rather than having school-wide tryouts, the students present their acts in their individual classes. Each class picks the top two acts. But Barry added that since some classes don’t participate, they will allow some other classes to have more acts.
“We don’t want to turn anyone away,” she said.
Some of the students performed in groups of a whole class – or grade – as with the fifth-grade classes that took turns taking the stage during the Michael Jackson medley, decked out in different-colored fluorescent hats as part of their costume. A few other classes performed as groups, singing songs such as “This Land is Your Land,” “Time to Sing” and “Mr. Golden Sun.”
Other students performed in groups, including a set of fourth-grade students who danced to “Baby” by Justin Bieber and “Eenie Meenie” by Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston.
After the performance, some of the girls talked about it, including Amanda Moisa, Adelisa Ponce, Sarah Duarte, Darien Hernandez and Karissa Quintana. They said they had rehearsed their routine at least nine times, sometimes in their classroom and sometimes at a friend’s house after school.
They picked the song because “we just like the artist.”
They said they were nervous, but they performed in last year’s talent show so they knew what to expect.
Other students took the stage alone. Michael Thomas performed a break dance routine to “Imma Shine” by Young Bloodz Michael. Another girl sang a rendition of “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway musical “Wicked.” Another played a song on her keyboard.
One of the special highlights for the students was a performance by local dancer Sammy Ramirez who tried out for season 5 of the Fox Reality Show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Ramirez performed a unique brand of pop-and-locking, which included a slow-motion start. The kids enjoyed it so much, they asked the teachers if he could take the stage again.
Before the talent show, Barry explained that each teacher listens to the music the students plan to use and makes sure the acts are appropriate for elementary school.
“This is the typical mix,” she said. “You get dancing and lip-synching. Usually one student wants to play a keyboard.”
She said she and Rider try to mix up the performances so there are kids from different grades performing throughout the day.
“It’s fun, but it gets a little hot for the kids,” she said, as the show entered into its second hour.
She added that the most enthusiastic performers are usually in second through fourth grade.
The show is a chance for the teachers to enjoy themselves, too.
“Somehow with all the pink slips and layoffs, we can still get out here and have fun,” she said.
