A group of fifth-graders from Holley Elementary School convincingly portrayed famous Americans of the Civil War era during a weeklong residency when they worked with actor David Schuler to prepare their characterizations. Shown are: (l-r, front) Cynthia Hansen, Samantha Henchen, Megan Gentile, Colby Vickerson and Kelsey Wilson; (back) Zachary Vickerson, Joshua Hatfield, Jessica Kimmerly, Douglas Sommerfeldt, Julie Brooks, Michael Silvis, Eric Mitchell and Jon Penna. Sean Brooks, Marissa Callahan, Tim Gallets, Kaitlyn Hendry, Cheyenne Hovey, Alyssa Lasch, Samantha McElwain, Sonia Mendoza, Nick Pernicano and Courtney Strickland also participated in a different target group.

Famous Americans" visit Holley Elementary School

"Ben Franklin," "Martha Washington," "Thomas Jefferson" and "John Adams" spent the week with the fourth- and fifth-graders at Holley Elementary School recently. Each day, the students learned more about these famous Americans of the Civil War era, then the actors "stepped out" of character to talk with students about how to become a convincing character. A target group of fifth-graders worked with actor David Schuler throughout the week to prepare their own historical interpretations of famous Americans. During a final assembly, the students portrayed the characters they had been researching all week, which included Lucretia Mott, Dolly Madison, Betsy Ross, John Quincy Adams, Mary Lyon, George Washington, William Clark, Anne Bradstreet, Davy Crockett, Molly Pitcher, Mary Jemison, Andrew Jackson and others. The residency, a Project ADEPT (A Diversified Enrichment Program for the Talented) Explorations program through Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES, was an opportunity for students and staff to learn about famous people in American history through first person characterization.