Once again, SAR Academy’s annual Wacky Wax Museum was a resounding success! Dressed as scientists, politicians, artists, athletes, authors, inventors, Supreme Court justices, entertainers and astronauts, the third graders stepped masterfully into character, dressed as the famous people they had researched for their biography project. Complementing their costumes were an array of creative props such as dinosaurs, light-up hats, test tubes, balance beams, easels, trolleys, muppets, medals, voting booths and hockey nets. Among the highlights of this year’s exhibition were the debut appearances of Isabella Stewart Gardner, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, Erno Rubik and Shigeru Miyamoto. In order to make each third grade exhibit come to life, guests read a sign and performed the indicated action. For example, when you pressed a voting button, Elizabeth Cady Stanton would unfreeze and give a speech about her life.

The third graders made it look easy, but they put in a great deal of work to prepare for this event. After selecting their Wacky Wax characters, they read and took notes across various texts to learn not only the facts about the person’s life, but also the main ideas about what makes the person unique. Next, they composed detailed paragraphs, poems, and riddles with the information they had gathered. In addition, students practiced their speeches so that on the day of the event they exuded clarity and confidence.

Students, with their dedication and hard work, not only brought historical figures to life, but also imparted valuable lessons and inspiration to all who visited their exhibits. For instance, Fred Rogers advised: “Keep on riding life’s trolley because you never know where it can take you” and the creator of Minecraft shared: “You can use your interest to help create amazing new worlds.” Hopefully, the third graders will carry these lessons with them long after the Wacky Wax event.