Date: Fri 04-Apr-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

schools-Sandy-Hook-ballads

Full Text:

Sandy Hook Voyagers Sing

Ballads Of Discovery

"We are the English" Explorers: Sandy Hook fifth graders sing a ballad about

the voyages of Henry Hudson (Joe Coates on keyboard), Captain Cook (Frank

Mirant), John Cabot (Lyle Murphy) and Sir Frances Drake (Ben Bagaglio).

Lyle Murphy, dressed as the English explorer John Cabot, scans the far horizon

while standing behind a banana boat floating on a sea of blue jello. The

edible visual presentation was courtesy of his mother, Jody Murphy.

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Newtown today. Tomorrow, the World!

Sandy Hook School fifth grade teachers Valerie Pachniuk and Carol Howard have

launched their students upon voyages of discovery, asking them to research a

famous explorer, map his journey across the oceans and write a ballad about

what happened to him along the way.

Then, just to keep the assignment interesting, the students had to dress in

appropriate costume and sing their ballads to nursery rhyme tunes in front of

their classmates on Thursday, March 27.

Like all successful explorers, the students had a lot of support from home, as

their mothers and fathers assembled appropriate clothing for the journey and

brought in food from the countries their children had "discovered," such as

bananas from the New World or tea from the Orient.

It wasn't clear what country was responsible for the potato chips.

"It's been great fun and the students did a terrific job," said Mrs Pachniuk

as the Great Sandy Hook Explorers Day drew to a close.