By Ann Ansley
Carrboro Commons Writer

On March 18, Roger Clemens, Mia Hamm and Tyler Hansbrough visited Carrboro Elementary School.

Or, rather, the 4-feet-tall versions of these superstars.

Bryant Johnson, 8, poses as Michael Jordan at the annual Carrboro Elementary School Wax Museum project. On March 17 and 18, third graders dressed up as famous people in history and performed short skits about their characters’ lives for family, friends and visiting community members.
Staff photo by Ann Ansley

In one of the busiest events of the year for Carrboro Elementary, third graders participated in their annual Wax Museum project on March 17 and 18. Students dressed up as famous historical characters and performed short speeches about their characters’ lives for family members, friends and members of the community.

“I feel the main thing that is special is that the project incorporates the entire curriculum: social studies, writing, researching, theater,” said Amanda Crisp, vice principal at Carrboro Elementary. “I think it engages and energizes the students, but it also builds community by bringing in parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles. The home-school relationship is important.”

Parents also thought the Wax Museum was a very special event.

“Kids learn a lot,” said Rachel Ingham, mother of third grader Ben Ingham. “The people they pick come from all different backgrounds, and the project teaches them to work hard.”

The costumed third graders lined up along three long hallways. Whenever a visitor approached a student and stepped on the small laminated square in front of them, the student came alive and spoke of his or her character’s life and accomplishments.

The students’ choices of characters were as different as their favorite aspects of completing the project.

“I liked typing it up,” said 8-year-old Ben Ingham, who was dressed up as Christopher Columbus.

“He picked Christopher Columbus because they both liked maps,” added Ben’s mom.

Eight-year-old Bryant Johnson dressed up as Michael Jordan.

“Being a basketball player was the best part,” said Bryant, who was clad in a jersey Jordan patterned after the one Jordan wore when he played basketball at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Will Atkinson also dressed up as a famous professional athlete: skateboarder Tony Hawk.

“I liked the researching,” said 8-year-old Atkinson, who skateboards in real life. “It was easy and fun.”

But the Wax Museum was educational and fun for many of those attending, not just the students.

“The kids’ excitement and energy was awesome,” said Vickie Atkinson, Will’s mother. “I learned some things about JFK that I didn’t know before.”

The two traditional classes and two dual language classes of third graders participated in the event. The traditional class students recited their biographical speech in English, while the dual language students offered to speak in either English or Spanish.

“It’s very important for students to practice Spanish because when they see adults want to hear it, the level of appreciation for Spanish goes up,” said Larisa Cortes, a teacher on the Spanish side of the dual language program.

Melody Wharton, who heads the English side of the dual language program, agrees.

“They all were able to appreciate this and share in two languages (with) an audience how important these people were,” said Wharton.

Students spent two months researching and preparing the five-paragraph report that they memorized and performed at the Wax Museum, according to Crisp.

The Wax Museum took place on Monday, March 17, from 1:20 p.m. to 2 p.m., and on Tuesday, March 18, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to Carrboro Elementary School’s Web site.