Alexander Graham Bell, Nellie Bly, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Pocahontas showed up at St. John Lutheran Church Thursday, anxious to tell the church school’s elementary students and visitors all about their lives and achievements.
Two dozen historical figures took their places in the church school multi-purpose room — actually, they were St. John students donning period costumes to reflect the history-making characters they chose to research and portray.
Tiffany Jureczki, St. John School director, said students selected their own characters to research, making outfits and designing poster boards that told the story of their individual.
“Back in January, we went to the Patrick Heath Public Library, and everybody researched their person,” Jureczki said. “Then at home, they worked on their posters, their speech and their costumes. And today’s the culminating day, to show everybody all their hard work.”
A dress rehearsal Tuesday was followed by practice reciting speeches, all in preparation for the opening of Thursday’s “museum.”
Kane Krueger portrayed Thomas Edison and told of the famed inventor’s life.
“Some of my accomplishments are the light bulb, the movie camera, the phonograph, the alkaline battery, the carbon telephone transmitter and the automatic telegraph,” Krueger (as Edison) said.
Several students told interesting facts about their characters that are unknown to many.
“Something you may not know about me, I saved the life of a 3-year-old boy,” Edison said. “The little boy’s father was so grateful, he taught me how to be a telegraph operator, which led to my first job.”
In addition to Bell, Bly, Jackie O., Pocahontas and Edison, other historical figures represented Thursday were Jim Henson, Rosa Parks, Irma Rangel, Misty Copeland, Melba Liston, Katie Ledecky, Helen Keller, Sally Ride, Barbara Walters, Betsy Ross, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Neil Armstrong, Eleanor Roosevelt, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mary Katharine Goddard, Sacagawea, Amelia Earhart, Kamala Harris and Dolly Parton.
Parents and church members filed into the room for an hour, eager to hear from each student/figure. Just as in any museum, as an audience member approached, the “actors” began reciting their speeches.
“This is our whole elementary school, kindergarten through fifth grade,” Jureczki said. “Some of our little ones are still learning to read. So yes, this was big for them.”
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