MARTINSVILLE This year, there was a welcome addition to graduation ceremonies at Martinsville High School: air conditioning. Previous commencement exercises were marked by great warmth in the John R. Wooden Gymnasium — something that was only natural given the large number of people gathered to celebrate the achievements of their loved ones. Nick Sears, Martinsville High School principal, gave the welcome address for the ceremony. “Welcome to Martinsville and Martinsville High School graduation ceremony for the class of 2017,” he said. Sears invited seniors who were joining the military to stand up and be recognized by the crowd, and he welcomed the school’s festival chorus to the stage to perform “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” Salutatorian Sarah Kush was first to address the crowd gathered there. “It is truly an honor to be standing in front of you today as we come together to celebrate this joyous occasion,” she said. “I have been given great privilege to represent the voice of my class. And I have to say, with the opportunity to share my final thoughts before we all carry on with our lives, I’m really tempted to try and reflect back on these past 13 years of school.” Kush said it would have been great to gather all the memories together, tie a ribbon around them and present the package to the crowd. “But life isn’t that simple, as we certainly don’t experience life in the same way, as I’m sure all of you know. There are too many young ladies and gentlemen sitting in front of me that all have their own unique backgrounds, personalities, friend groups, memories and stories to tell, that I couldn’t even possibly begin to do each individual’s story justice,” she said. ush said she experienced a series of different emotions when thinking about what high school graduation meant for her: the joy and excitement of hitting a milestone, but also the uncertainty of moving on and sadness of leaving the familiar behind. “I’m used to waking up at the same time, to the same alarm and going to the same school every day,” she said. “How am I going to decide where I want to go next? And I’m used to seeing my same group of friends every day in and outside of school. How am I going to stay in touch with such an amazing group of people who are all going off to chase their dreams? And most of all, I don’t have a set path to follow anymore. How am I going to figure out what to do with the rest of my life? I know that I am going to be forced out of my comfort zone into a world that is all but forgiving.” Kush said she found comfort in knowing that many of her classmates were experiencing the same thing. Kush said she wanted her classmates to have hope for themselves and the future because it would give them an opportunity to change the world for the better. Abigail McClain, the valedictorian, spoke next to her classmates and the crowd. McClain said she wanted her classmates to know how proud she and every person in the room was of them. “Through the ups and downs, through the triumphs and failures, it’s finally here,” she said. “You did it. A date you looked at on your calendar for months, maybe even years, has arrived. You’ve made it to graduation.” McClain said it took her a while to write her address because it was difficult to sum up how proud, excited, scared, nervous and happy she was to speak in front of her classmates. “Thirteen years ago, you were making the first steps of your school career to the bus stop for your first day of kindergarten — and how many steps down different paths we’ve taken since then,” she said. McClain invited her classmates to think toward the future instead of dwelling on what had come before. “In a few short minutes, you will take the last steps of your time at Martinsville, walking across the stage to get your diploma and go out into the world,” she said. “I know that I, as well as many of you, am excited to see what those steps have in store. I also expect you may feel as I do, wildly unprepared and just a little bit anxious for what the future holds.” McClain said her class will go on to do great things and that it is OK to be unsure of what one’s future career and life path will be. She closed by sharing a piece of advice she’d found touching. “Embrace the terrifying joy of unbearable responsibility. Right now it may seem like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, the weight to do great things and succeed. But with that weight, it’s heavy with not only that but also the good, and it’s up to you to run with it,” McClain said. Joseph DeRossett, president of the class of 2017, spoke next. He began by acknowledging a student who had passed away and asked his classmates to keep his memory in their hearts and minds. “It seems like only yesterday that we started kindergarten and began our journey,” DeRossett said. He said graduation had seemed so far away, but reminded his classmates that they’ve only just begun and high school gave them the skills they need for real life. Following DeRossett’s speech, it was time to hand out the diplomas the seniors had worked so hard for. And with a shift of the tassel and a throw of the mortarboard, the class of 2017’s time at the high school came to an end. It wasn’t a real ending, but a new beginning for the seniors.

MARTINSVILLE — The month of May might as well be the month of April for the sheer amount of rain that’s fallen on Morgan County in the past few weeks. This time of year, the weather is usually nicer and suitable for outdoor events, temperatures are reasonable and the sweltering humidity associated with June and July is uncommon. The inaugural Fine Arts Frolic held at Charles L. Smith Elementary School Saturday was forced to roll with the changes. Fear of further precipitation caused the events to move inside, but that was part of the organizers’ plans. The event was a celebration of the elementary school’s plan to become a fine arts academy next school year. Currently, students at the Martinsville school have gotten a taste of the future with fine arts Fridays. The energy is different at the school and students get really excited about integrating the arts in different areas of study. “We are thrilled by the turnout today,” said Kari Palma, Smith Elementary music teacher. “For this being our first Fine Arts Frolic, we are just absolutely, over the moon, super excited that so many of our kids from Smith and all kinds of other children from all kinds of other places are coming to join us, have a great day with our school here and with our community artists from The Art Sanctuary, from the Woodridge Music Academy, from Elite Dance and (so many others). The kids are having so much fun.” The event Saturday showcased the many ways art, music and even physical education and dance intersect. Community organizations and local vendors set up shop in booths in school hallways and in some cases, classrooms. Guests could roam portions of the school to sample different areas of the fine arts. The stage in the multipurpose room that serves as gymnasium and cafeteria among other things was where the Tom Fiddlery Band performed, before ceding the room to a Zumba class. Other activities in the gym included temporary tattooing, a bounce house and a beloved classic of gym classes past: a multi-colored parachute. Cars filled the parking lot of Smith Elementary, the lot of neighboring Bell Intermediate Academy and portions of Columbus Street. The energy in the halls of the school was palpable. One classroom featured actors from the Merry MAC Theatre and gave students an opportunity to don costumes and try their hands at treading the boards. “I just saw a play with the Merry MAC Players, and it was adorable,” Palma said. The weather cleared and the sun came out, which meant that the duck dash 2K fun run could take place outside. It featured a special guest: Smith Elementary School principal Kyle Stout in an inflatable duck costume. The costume was a big hit with the students. Many were excited to pose for a photo with their principal in such a ridiculous getup. The prizes for the run were trophies, 27 total, including one for the fastest girl and one for the fastest boy. The remaining trophies were duck-shaped. Robert Gee helped organize the duck dash and spoke of his love for art. “Whoever is going here next year, I’m so jealous that you guys get to do the art. I grew up doing art myself and I love it, I wish I did it more,” Gee said. Gee explained the route of the event and discussed the group he runs on Facebook: Motivate Martinsville. “It kind of has inspirational stories for people locally, and if you ever think you can run longer, we have some 2K runs once in a while and some of the other 5K events in Martinsville, we’d like to see you out there. And if you wanted to, you could even move up to a 5K,’ Gee said. And then, with sounding of his duck call by Principal Stout, the runners were off. If looks like a duck, walks a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Substitute success for duck when talking about the Fine Arts Frolic, and you’re as near to the truth of the matter as can be.

MARTINSVILLE Commencement exercises for Tabernacle Christian School took place Thursday evening for the 15 senior class members. Reminiscing and nostalgia were some of the major themes of the evening, whether in the addresses given by the student speakers or in the remarks of commencement speaker Pastor Bruce Burkett, who graduated from Tabernacle Christian School a decade prior. The ceremony began with the standard playing of composer Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance.” Pastor Jesse vonBergen gave the opening invocation. “Lord, thank you so much for this school that you established here in Martinsville. Thank you for these 15 seniors, Lord for their lives and for their accomplishments and for their potential for the future,” vonBergen said. The choir, which included many of the graduating seniors, performed “You Are God.” Salutatorian Jared Schoolcraft was the first of ceremony’s student speakers. He thanked his classmates, the staff of the school and his parents for helping him along the way to graduation from high school. Schoolcraft’s address blended sincerity with good-natured ribbing. “Thank you, Ms. Alexander, for instilling in me a love of music. Thank you, my parents, for instilling in me my work ethic and my classmates for instilling in me patience,” Schoolcraft said. He reflected on notable moments in his final year of high school, such as one classmate dabbing after scoring a goal in soccer. Schoolcraft also mentioned a quote from a teacher which had stayed with him. “One quote that has always stuck in my mind is Mrs. Smith telling us, ‘The one thing we have failed to learn from history is to learn from history.’ One thing that I hope we all can do moving forward with our lives is to learn from our past mistakes as well as our past successes,” Schoolcraft said. This year’s class featured two valedictorians, Chloe Baughman and Charissa Alexander, both students having earned an identical GPA of 3.97. Baughman spoke first, beginning her remarks with a lighthearted nod to Mark Antony’s speech following the assassination of Julius Caeasar in the play of the same name. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears…sorry, wrong speech,” Baughman said. Baughman used her time to thank her classmates, teachers and parents for all they had done. She mentioned a poem she had read in preparation for the speech which spoke of the end of high school, doing things like closing a locker for the last time and seeing classmates for the last time, but she also encouraged those in attendance to live boldly, to take chances and try new things. The Tabernacle Ambassadors performed “Always by Our Side” between valedictorian addresses. Alexander joked she wouldn’t let her speech go longer than an hour, eager as her classmates were for summer break. Alexander reflected on the past four years and what she had learned from teachers and classmates alike. She also drew from the test of faith the title figure undergoes in the Book of Job. “Job’s testimony is preserved for us today to be encouraged that whatever trials God has given you, he has a bigger purpose in mind. Whether a trial is something common to all high schoolers, like learning to deal with other personalities or struggling with algebra or the trial of something more personal, God has something great in mind,” Alexander said. Bruce Burkett, pastor at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Cortez, Colorado, gave the commencement speech. Burkett, a 2007 alumni of Tabernacle, drew partially on the Book of Ecclesiastes for his remarks. “To everything there is a season and a time to ever purpose under heaven, a time to be born, a time to die. A time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted and in verse 4 it says there’s a time to weep, a time to laugh, there’s a time for sorrow,” Burkett said. Burkett reflected on the decade in between his high school graduation and Thursday evening and offered advice to the graduates for how they might navigate the world beyond high school. “Perhaps you’ll be able to come back and you’ll still be serving the Lord, because as a senior in high school, you launch out into young adulthood, you make a decision, ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,’” Burkett said. The graduates were given their diplomas following the commencement address and flipped the tassels on their mortarboards, then heard a benediction by pastor David Zempel, leaving to the strains of “Hymn to Joy,” a piece based on the melody of the fourth movement of Symphony No. 9, Beethoven’s final symphony, a composition written late in his career and life. It was a fitting capstone for the ceremony and for high school, a triumphant and optimistic way for the graduates to begin the next chapter of their lives.

MARTINSVILLE Charles L. Smith Elementary School will celebrate its transformation next year into a fine arts academy with the Fine Arts Frolic from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the school, 1359 E. Columbus St., Martinsville. The event will give parents, potential students and community members alike a peek into what the Fine Arts Academy has to offer. “We just want to invite the whole community, because we are so thrilled since the school board just last month said, ‘Okay, you’re good to go, you get to be a fine arts academy,’" Kari Palma, music teacher at Smith, said. "So we thought let’s have a fun day, kind of like a carnival, but instead of just focusing on games, let’s give it a fine arts focus. So we’ve got plenty of different things, with different kinds of art that the kids can participate in. We’ve got music, we’ve got dance, we’ve got games and community partners." Some of those community partners include Zumba by Heather Roberts, the Tom Fiddlery Band and actors from the Merry MAC theatre. The Art Sanctuary, Pam Hurst of the Sterling Butterfly, the Morgan County Farmers Market and Elite Dance Studios will have booths at the event. The community booths will be an opportunity for event attendees to get information about various art-related courses and activities they can participate in around Martinsville and Morgan County. “The Merry MAC players are coming and they’re going to have a stage set up so they’ll have some people performing but also encouraging students to put on outfits and performing with them,” Smith art teacher Chapin Schnick said. Schnick said there would be several opportunities for attendees to make art, including a mural and sidewalk chalk art, as well as a string art board. Additionally, there will be elements of a carnival including a bounce house, face painting and temporary tattoos, along with some games. “We’re going to play just some recreation games like cornhole, ladder golf, giant, Jenga and we’ll have a 2K duck dash," Smith physical education teacher Tammy Cheesman said. "Our principal (Kyle Stout) might show up in a duck costume. The first place boy and the first place girl will get a trophy and we’ll have a lot of little duck trophies that we’re going to give the first 25 who cross the finish line. So it’s a family fun run." The Smith PTO will have refreshments available for purchase including popcorn, nachos and sno-cones. Cheesman said it was a good chance for students interested in attending the school and their parents to check out the school and learn a little bit about what the fine arts academy has to offer. “We intentionally did it on a Saturday so that it would be accessible. It’s not just on a school night for our school,” Palma said. Schnick said students at Smith have an opportunity to act as ambassadors for the program because of their experience on Fine Arts Fridays. “This semester, since we’ve been piloting the fine arts academy, our students kind of already have an idea of how the arts integration will work, luckily they can kind of champion it with their families because they’re already aware through our Fine Arts Fridays and things that we’ve had throughout the year what we’re going to offer,” Schnick said. Palma said the fine arts integration was valuable because it made students want to come to school, such as the time this past year when students had recently learned about making mandalas, a diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically which often exhibit radial balance. “I had line them up against the wall, but they were slipping. ‘Just put them flat on the floor and then that way they can’t fall’ so I went to door ‘Bye, bye, have a great day!’ and the kids had (formed a mandala) with the guitars,” Palma said. Palma said it was a sign the students were invested and truly thinking about what they were learning while also being excited by it. “For us, the standard is if we are saying we wish we could have had this as kids, then we’re on the right track, that’s what we want,” Palma said. The Fine Arts Frolic will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Charles L. Smith Elementary School. The event is free to the public and will be held rain or shine.

BROOKLYN Fourth and Fifth grade students at Brooklyn Elementary got a nice change of pace from a week of standardized testing on Friday with a course on design thinking, taught by Mark Caswell, Director of Technology for KSM Consulting. Design thinking is an approach used to solve problems that focuses on finding ways to meet the needs of people. Caswell was certified in teaching design thinking from taking a course at Stanford University. Design thinking is an important component of the word of technology and science, but it’s very beneficial in education as it teaches students different ways of solving problems and can help engage students more readily than in more traditional forms of teaching. “One of our employees, Anne Gee, her son goes here. I’ve heard her actually rave for a long time about this school and how great they are. So she asked me if I’d come down and teach design thinking,” Caswell said. Caswell said that the course was a good fit for the elementary school based on what he’d seen. “This school is amazing, I’m really impressed with the program and all the things that they’re doing for the kids here. I walked around the classrooms before and I already saw some of the things that I was gonna talk about in the classrooms. So they’re already familiar with a lot of stuff. So it’s pretty great,” Caswell said. Caswell typically teaches the course to adults and said he had trained about 500 people in it. He said that it was a good fit for the kids. “I think the beauty of it is all the principles apply no matter how you are. If you’re retirement age, working age and all the way down to kids. All the things we teach are kind of applicable. In many ways, younger people are actually easier to teach, they’re a lot more malleable,” Caswell said. Caswell said he sees teaching design thinking and focusing on STEM education as a way of reducing the problem of “brain drain” — the tendency for graduates of state colleges to move elsewhere for work — and cited the number of technology firms in Indianapolis as a positive sign and something to build on. “I’ve lived a lot of places in my life, I’ve lived in England, I’ve done work in Japan, I’ve lived in California for a while and I love Indiana. I grew up in Michigan, but I love Indiana, it’s a great state and we have amazing universities, we have amazing hardworking people and parents and we have really smart kids,” Caswell said. “So one of the things I want to do in the community is I want to help as many of those kids learn about engineering and technology and all the amazing things they can do and stay in Indiana and do great things for our state. As many people as I can tell that to, the better.” One of the ways KSM is helping to combat that problem is by getting involved in different programs in various cities around the state that help to keep college graduates in Indiana. Caswell said that there were some challenges facing that, but there was plenty to be excited about. “But I tell you what,” Caswell said. “It is hard in Indiana to find people who are skilled at technology and have the passion for it that we do. So the more we can do at the schools to encourage people…I think Indianapolis is an amazing technology city and I’ve lived in Silicon Valley, I’ll take Indianapolis any day. I think if kids see that, they’re going to want to stay here and they’re going to want to build great things for our state. That’s what we’re here for.” One of the programs KSM is involved with is the Orr Fellowship, a program that matches individuals with nonprofits that can make use of their consulting skills. Ellen Funke, a consultant at KSM, is a former Orr Fellowship intern and worked with Caswell to teach the design thinking program to the students. Funke taught the portion about brainstorming. “It’s hard too, to really get yourself in that right brain space where you’re thinking really creatively like we talked about, being in the right place to come up with ideas. It’s tough; you have to be really intentional about it. And most people stop too early, so if you jot down three ideas on a piece of paper to solve a problem and say ‘Oh I know that one idea will work so we don’t need to jot down anymore ideas.’ That’s way, too early more ideas is the way to go,” Funke said. An important part of brainstorming is warming up and playing a variation on rock-paper-scissors that required them to use their whole body particularly excited the students. Anne Gee, who helped coordinate the event and had taken the course said, the kids seemed to be more engaged than adults who took the course were. “The kids are way more involved and responsive they don’t really think about if there’s a right answer or if there’s a wrong answer. A lot of times as adults we sit and think about, ‘Oh am I gonna get made fun of if I say this?’ or ‘What are the repercussions going to be?’” Gee said. “And I think the kids are just saying what’s on their mind, which is awesome. I think that adults struggle a little bit more with the creative thinking, so for adults to do some of this design thinking it’s a little more difficult than it is for a child.” Gee said the course was very beneficial and hoped other students in other schools might have the opportunity to take the class. “I think it would an opportunity of a lifetime for these kids and I think the younger you teach them about it and if you keep teaching them over and over again, it becomes a way of life,” Gee said.

BROOKLYN Fourth graders at Brooklyn Elementary School are learning a lesson in civic engagement and bettering the community they live in with their project to add a water fountain to Brooklyn Kids Park. The fountain will include a water bottle filling station, as well as a bowl for thirsty pets. The students got the idea after playing at the park and getting thirsty, only to find that there was no water fountain. Sharon Goodin, a fourth grade teacher at Brooklyn Elementary, suggested getting a fountain installed as a community project. “One of the students contacted the town council and set up a meeting with them. A group of students came together and talked about how to get things together,” Goodin said, adding that the students compiled a list of fundraising ideas for the project. “They keep their money in a register. Every penny that comes in, they have to be accountable for and deposit it and we check the deposit with the PTO president.” One organization which will benefit from the drinking fountain is a local cycling group, the Cure Chasers. The group rides to raise money for non-profit organizations which raise money and awareness for acute and chronic diseases. Every Tuesday night, the group rides from Southwestway Park to Observatory Hill and back, passing through Brooklyn on the way to the hill. The group met with the fourth graders Tuesday to hear the students’ proposal for the water fountain and to teach them about biking safety. “We are very excited about your water projects, because one of the things we focus on as a group when we ride is not only the health and fitness we get from riding our bikes, but we also want to make sure we’re healthy when we’re on the bikes,” Anders Weaver, a member of the Cure Chasers, said. “That includes being safe and that includes being hydrated so many of our riders on a hot day like today, by the time we get to Observatory [Hill] and back down, we’re gonna be out of water. So when you guys have your waterfill station here, it’s going to have a great impact on us and our ability to stay hydrated and safe when we ride.” Weaver said the group was so excited about the water fountain and wants to assist the students in their efforts. “Because we’re so excited, we also want you to know that the Cure Chasers are going to make a contribution to your fundraising as well. We want to help out with your project. Undetermined amount so far, but we’re working on that. We’re going to make sure we help out as well, because we’re going to take advantage of it,” Weaver said. The group also talked about the importance of riding bikes safely, saying they take several precautionary steps to have a safer riding experience. “Part of being safe when we ride in a group, we talk a lot,” Weaver said. “So sometimes you might hear us yelling at each other. We yell things like, ‘Car up,’ that just lets us know that there’s a car coming towards us and the people in the back yell, ‘Car back,’ which lets us know a car is coming from the back. We tell each other when there’s potholes in the road when there’s gravel on the road and that’s all just to keep us safe.” Another important part of riding safely, according to Weaver, is keeping bikes in good condition, such as keeping the chain oiled and clean and by making sure the tires of the bike have enough air in them. “We wear gloves so that our hands stay dry and we can make sure we have good contact with our handlebars and our brakes and probably one of the biggest safety things is our helmet,” he said. “So we always want to make sure we wear our helmets and make sure they’re strapped on. Some people don’t like to strap their helmets, but if I hit the road going 20 mph, my helmet is going to fly off and my head is still going to hit the ground.” Rachel Weaver, a member of the Cure Chasers, demonstrated how to make a helmet fit properly, saying it was important to make sure the helmet wasn’t loose or easy to remove, but also comfortable. “We wear them every time we ride. You’re not allowed to ride in our group if you don’t have a helmet,” she said. The fourth graders plan to raise money toward their $4,000 goal for the water fountain by setting up a lemonade stand in the park one Tuesday night in the future. The stand will be there for cyclists coming through and a film will be screened for the students. To donate to the water fountain fund, contact Brooklyn Elementary School at 317-831-2150 or Goodin at Sharon.goodin@msdmartinsville.org. Fore more information about the Cure Chasers, visit facebook.com/indianacurechasers.

MARTINSVILLE Step on campus at Martinsville High School, 1360 E. Gray St., and it’s difficult not to notice the areas cordoned off with caution tape, the bright orange of construction cones or the garish neon yellow of construction workers in hard hats adding a new exterior to the MHS gym. Sections of the parking lot were off limits to non-construction personnel Tuesday. Caution tape of various hues marked off where it was okay for students, staff and visitors could walk or park their cars. The construction activity is just one part of a series of improvements intended to keep the facilities of the Metropolitan School District of Martinsville up to date. The one that’s most readily apparent is the facelift the John R. Wooden gymnasium is currently undergoing. Aesthetics — such as the tan pieces of siding that make the originals seem bare and plain in comparison — are certainly part of the improvements, along with increasing comfort level and durability of the facilities. “Our current high school projects are new siding over existing siding on the exterior, new windows on the upstairs of the building, new signage to replace old signage in addition to new signage and air conditioning in the John R. Wooden gymnasium," MHS principal Dr. Nick Sears said. "You will see the first major signage, a giant red letter M on the Gray Street side of the auxiliary gymnasium. The red M is one of two that will be set on top of the blue school color siding and will be trimmed in a white, diamond-like color. All signage will be back lit." Sears said the air conditioning will be great relief to those who have attended packed basketball games at the gym or attended commencement ceremonies. “The construction projects were simply prompted out of necessity," he said. "Much of the exterior of Martinsville High School had not been updated since its opening day. Air conditioning in the gym has been a topic for years due to extreme temperatures in the summer and fall classes and sports. Additionally, air conditioning the gym will be safer during the May graduation ceremony when the gym is hot and near capacity,” Sears said. The current building has been in use since 1977. The updates were necessary to keep it comfortable and functional for current students and faculty, as well future Artesians. One recent beneficiary of the updates was the Martinsville Madmen Wrestling Club, which was gifted a new, larger room by the district. The club’s previous room dated back to the construction of the high school. While there are district facilities that can be updated, the custodial and maintenance staff works hard to keep everything in good working condition. “Our district keeps up to date on facilities through rigorous maintenance by our key personnel that work diligently behind the scenes. Otherwise, our district focuses on key projects that are prioritized based on the greatest need for the district,” Sears said. Sears said the projects were all on schedule and moving along nicely. The air conditioning project began Monday, which should mean a more pleasant environment for those watching the class of 2017 graduate in May, as well for next season’s slate of basketball games. Sears said future projects for the district included the high school auditorium, the science wing and the senior center. “However, all projects are always subject to state funding,” Sears said. For more information, visit the MSD of Martinsville’s website at msdofmartinsville.org or call the Central Education Center at 765-342-6641.

MARTINSVILLE The second grade classes of Charles L. Smith Elementary School, joined the by the Smith School Honor Choir, welcomed in the holiday season with two performances of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” Tuesday. “The Grinch” has been called a Christmas classic, having been adapted from the Dr. Seuss story into an animated special in 1966 and a live-action film in 2000. That made for an easy choice for Kari Palma, the music teacher at Smith. “It’s a great book; most of the kids are familiar with it,” Palma said. Palma said doing a production is a great way to reinforce literacy and reading. She also said it’s a good form of cross-curricular lessons. “[Students] realize there’s more than one way to tell a story. This gives them a chance to read it, act it and sing it out,” Palma said, adding that it was an opportunity for students to be on stage, gets them comfortable with public speaking and being in front of people. Skills that Palma said can translate to a variety of professions include teacher, doctor, CEO and others. It’s another way of engaging students and one that reinforces learning, she said. It’s a great form of team building, requiring students to memorize dialogue, song lyrics and multiple cues, according to Palma. Rehearsals for the show began after fall break, with students practicing once a week during music class. Aidan Martin, 7, is quieter in person than the brashness of his character, the Grinch, would suggest. He said it took him a few weeks to memorize the lines of the Grinch. Cindy Lou Who was an easy choice for Cydney Albertson, 8. “My older sister, Chelsea, was Cindy Lou and she said it was so much fun,” Cydney said. Braxton Milutin, 7, said he was very happy to play Max the Dog. “He’s my favorite thing in the movie,” Braxton said. When it comes to the holiday itself, the three leads said they value the simple things. When asked what his favorite thing about Christmas was, Aidan said, “The Baby Jesus.” Cyndey and Braxton nodded in agreement. Cydney echoed Aidan’s sentiments and for Braxton, it’s time spent with family that he enjoys the most.