NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. Davis Elementary School fifth graders Sofia Valerio, Madison Pesco, and Liana Bigaud were three of 127 fifth grade students to performed in the 12th annual Magnet Overlay Program for the Performing Arts holiday show Wednesday.
I had a lot of fun learning dances, and learning words, said Valerio. Some were very interesting, she said.
All fifth grade students spent five days with dance consultant and hula dancer Luana Haraguchi learning and researching about the Hawaiian culture including its language, dances, historical facts, and ways of life.
The program enriches students learning by way of the arts other than the usual reading writing, and arithmetic.
Wednesdays event was a nice change for Pesco because she was able to learn new aspects about a culture she wasnt fully aware of. It was really different because I didnt know a lot about Hawaii before, she said.
Bigaud found Haraguchis teaching method efficient. She made it easy for us to research dances and do it, she said. She simplified it step by step.
The program was made possible by the City of New Rochelle School District working together with the Davis Parent Teacher Association.
This goes on for every child for every year, said Carol Kelly. A program of this size would not be successful if it were not for the cooperation of our teachers, she said.
The program takes a break from furthering enriching students growth until picking back up in 2012 with shows of different themes in January, February, and April.
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