SAR Academy’s third grade held its annual Wacky Wax Museum last week, and it was wackier than ever before! Monday and Wednesday nights, the children appeared on Zoom as famous characters like Saquon Barkley, Lucille Ball, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Neil Armstrong, Steve Irwin and Itzhak Perlman.
As in past years, SAR’s all-star cast came to life as the biography figures they had researched in class. They each stood remarkably still while virtual visitors followed the instructions on their screen. For example, pretend footballs and baseballs were thrown, flags were waved and U.S. constitutions were signed. And then the third grade stars told fascinating details about each character’s early years and achievements.
Students ended their speeches with famous people’s powerful messages to the world. They included: Julia Child: “Don’t be afraid to try out new recipes in the kitchen and in life”; Neil Armstrong: “Success comes with a lot of little steps and one big leap”; Rick Riordan:“It doesn’t matter how big a book is, what matters is the story inside”; and Ruth Bader Ginsburg: “Fight for the things you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Children were sent home with gift bags full of goodies that they enjoyed with their families while they watched a video about how their wax museum was made, starring none other than themselves. Families interacted virtually with the exhibits, providing positive feedback in the chat boxes and celebrating the student’s commitment to learning about their historic characters. They also played a Kahoot game, and many had fun with wacky wax Mad Libs. Visitors to the museum zoomed in from Israel as well as from California, Florida and Riverdale.
In keeping with SAR’s theme of the year of achrayut, the biography characters took time to talk about how they, too, are stepping it up. For example, Amelia Earhart worked as a nurse in World War I and Milton Hershey built a town for his workers and a school for orphans. Greta Thunberg shows responsibility by fighting for climate justice and working to ensure that future generations have a healthy planet.
