Michael Gorski
In honor of Memphis in May’s bicentennial celebrations, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (OLPH) hosted a special “Walking in Memphis” event on May 3rd, honoring our city’s history and heritage, for students, families, faculty members, and church visitors.
Fourth grade students spent a week and a half learning about Memphis by preparing slideshows about Memphis landmarks, history, and historical people. They also built replicas of famous landmarks, made decorations, and prepared interactive activities to demonstrate to event-goers what they’d learned.
Students learned about Piggly Wiggly and its founder Clarence Saunders, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, FedEx, Graceland and Elvis Presley, Memphis music, Memphis Zoo, Hernando de Soto Bridge and the three other bridges in Memphis, Peabody Hotel, local sports teams (U of M Tigers, Grizzlies, and Redbirds), Cotton Museum, Civil Rights Museum, Martin Luther King Jr., Ida B. Wells, Slave Haven, Yellow Fever and its heroes, and the Memphis flag.
At the “Walking in Memphis” celebration, children of all ages participated in a number of activities that included shopping in a replica of an old-fashioned Piggly Wiggly, painting and finding 901 Rocks, fishing on the Mississippi River, writing letters to patients of St. Jude, playing baseball and basketball, enjoying food by Rendezvous, and more.
“Students who have graduated from college still mention this project as one of the highlights of their elementary school experience,” says Cathi DeGloma, 4th grade teacher at OLPH. “The most rewarding experience as a teacher is to see these students speak in public, grow in confidence, and become aware of their place as global citizens.”
The school’s displays and celebration awarded them first place in creativity in the Beautify Your School competition by Memphis City Beautiful. Students will receive their award this Thursday at 9 p.m. on News Channel 3.
Past awards the school has received include two first-place creativity awards in Memphis City Beautiful’s Beautify Your School competition and five Memphis in May International Festival, Inc. awards including best classroom, best school-wide salute, and international teacher.
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Michael Gorski
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