CAPE MAY — With the historic election of President Barack Obama, many people will long remember where they were and what they were doing on Jan. 20, 2009.
So, at Cape May Elementary School, students and teachers marked the day the 44th President of the United States took office with a school-wide assembly that celebrated America’s history and looked toward a bright future.
The assembly began with the school’s chorus singing a patriotic rendition of “Hail to the Chief” and a flag salute, followed by an introduction by School Superintendent Victoria Zelenak, who urged students to heed Obama’s call to service.
Prior to the assembly, students were asked to reflect on what role they can play in American history, keeping in mind the “spirit of service” that the new president supports. They then wrote essays entitled: “What President Obama Wants Me to Do,” and essay winners from each class read their work at the commemorative assembly.
There were three recurring themes in the essays. Students listed: ways they could “pitch in” through volunteering and community service; ways they could look after each other; and the value of hard work.
Fifth grader, Abagail Colletti, talked about how “real power” was achieved by being part of positive change. Sixth grader William Steudle emphasized the importance of looking with himself instead of to others to make that change.
“Instead of looking outside ourselves, we should always look to our own potential,” Zelenak reminded students.
The commemoration ended with a rap song, taken from the Web site, educationalrap.com. The fifth and sixth grade classes
performed a rap song about the 44 presidents of the United States, singing “44 presidents, White House residents, from the age of the Revolution to the age of the Internet.” Meanwhile, students watched a slideshow of their portraits on the stage.
After the assembly, students planned to watch the Inauguration and parade with their classmates, further making Inauguration Day 2009 one to remember.
Contact Cawley at: (609) 886-8600 ext. 47 or mcawley@cmcherald.com
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