Manor second-graders sing and sign Yankee Doodle during their Flag Day performance last week. Photo by Donna MacKenzie
Second-graders at Honeoye Falls-Lima’s Manor School performed a traditional salute to Flag Day in their annual America…A Proud Nation production last Wednesday, June 12.
Interwoven with patriotic songs, members of the second-grade classes displayed their knowledge about this country such as the nation’s longest river, tallest mountain, etc. Two students enter the stage looking for the production when they are informed by another student dressed as George Washington that they are in the show. The two students don’t realize that it is George Washington who serves as a narrator and introduces each segment until the very end. Some of the students who present different facts about the nation are dressed as Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Betsy Ross, Susan B. Anthony, Sacajawea, Thomas Jefferson, Irving Berlin and Lady Liberty herself (The Statue of Liberty). Others have military hats for the different branches of the armed services, are dressed as astronauts, as Yankee Doodle Dandy, as a British soldier chasing after Yankee Doodle and as America’s symbol, the Bald Eagle.
All the students of the second grade performed the opening song “We Love the USA”. The students in Mrs. Fleming/Ms. Swift’s class sang “The United States”. Students in Mrs. Leonard/Mrs. Lynah’s class sang “The Star Spangled Banner”. After the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all the students and “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” performed by all of them, Ms. Cummings’ students sang “America, America”. Students in Mrs. Graney’s class followed with the song “Yankee Doodle”. All the second-graders sang “Thank You Soldiers” which accompanied a slideshow featuring photos of family members of the students or staff who have or are currently serving in one of the branches of the military (Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force). The “Taps Prologue” came next with all the students participating in it. Miss Balseca’s class and Mrs. Filiatrault/Mrs. Le’s class performed “America The Beautiful”. Mrs. Erickson’s class sang “Famous Americans”. The production closed with all the students singing “Proud to be an American” which is also known as “God Bless the USA”.
