SVCS kids showcase great states
(Photo by MARY MALONE) Dressed as famous lighthouse keeper Ida Lewis, Selle Valley Carden School third grader Emily Otis shows off her float representing the state of Rhode Island during the school’s state float parade on Nov. 16.
(Photo by MARY MALONE) Dressed as pioneer woman Ann Story, Selle Valley Carden School student Kiana Klinginsmith shows off her float representing the state of Virginia during the school's state float parade on Nov. 16.
(Photo by MARY MALONE) Dressed as Mary Harris Jones, known as "Mother Jones" and a famous female labor activist of the nineteenth century, Selle Valley Carden School student Ora Wade shows off her float representing the state of West Virgina during the school's state float parade on Nov. 16.
(Photo by MARY MALONE) Selle Valley Carden School student Brooklyn Sayler shows off her float representing the state of South Dakota during the school's state float parade on Nov. 16.
(Photo by MARY MALONE) Selle Valley Carden School student Taylor Burrows shows off her float representing the state of Nevada during the school's state float parade on Nov. 16.
(Photo by MARY MALONE) Selle Valley Carden School student Rainier Pappas shows off the float he made, donning the words "Virtue, Liberty and Independence" across the back, representing the state of Pennsylvania during the school's state float parade on Nov. 16.
SANDPOINT — Oregon became the 33rd state in the Union in 1859, and is a “great” state for fishing and hunting, said Selle Valley Carden School third-grader Josie Wood.
“A deadly volcano once erupted and it collapsed on itself and made a crater, and the crater filled up with water and there is a lake there called Crater Lake,” Josie said.
The Selle Valley students in kindergarten through fifth grade held a state float parade last week, showing off their creative skills in addition to what they learned about their states.
Jackson Mclemore, who studied North Dakota, said the most interesting thing he learned was that more than a million barrels of oil are produced each day in the state. Third-grader Emily Otis thought it was neat that the first circus in the United States was held in her research state of Rhode Island.
The motto for Oklahoma, said Colter Cates, is “Work Conquers All,” and the main thing they grow is wheat.
“There are over 200 lakes created by dams,” Colter said, adding that there are only two natural lakes in Oklahoma.
This was just a few of the hundreds of facts parents, staff and students learned about different states in the nation on Nov. 16. The kids didn’t just do a report on each of the states though, they each created a float to demonstrate the different things that make each state unique. Some used radio-controlled cars, some decorated their Power Wheels and others went with simpler floats using cardboard boxes and poster boards. The kids were creative in their float ideas. Colter, for example, even laser printed the Oklahoma flag at MakerPoint Studios.
In addition, each student dressed up as a figure representing their state. For Oregon, Josie dressed up as author Beverly Cleary, who she said is still alive to this day at 102 years old. Emily dressed up as Ida Lewis from Rhode Island, a lighthouse keeper noted for her heroism in rescuing people from the seas. Some of the other students dressed as Elvis, Burt Reynolds from his part in “Smokey and the Bandit,” Danica Patrick, and Forrest M. Bird who was originally from Massachusetts, but had a local tie as he lived in Sagle until his death in 2015.
This was the first event of its kind at Selle Valley, and teacher Stacy Rief said the kids picked their states at random by drawing from a hat. They had three weeks to find out as much information as they could, and then they had to write a commentary that was 300 words or less. The commentary was read by Lars Mellander as the students were called individually to parade around the parking lot during the event.
“It was their opportunity to be the teacher — to teach everybody else about their state,” Rief said. “Creativity was the key, and I think a lot of them nailed it.”
Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.