ABRAHAM LINCOLN VISITS ST. MARY’S

St. Mary of the Hills faculty brought Abraham Lincoln’s story to life on January 30th in honor of Lincoln’s upcoming 200th Birthday on February 12th. To reinforce classroom learning, Casey Preston, an Abraham Lincoln look-alike from Historical Perspectives, an agency that provides historical role models for students, spent the day with students in Grades 1 – 8. Through colorful costume and wig changes, slides, sound effects and voiceovers, Lincoln was vividly brought to life from early childhood through adulthood, showing his life story and how he developed the character qualities needed to achieve his personal goals. The student’s imaginations were captivated, as he personally shared many fascinating stories about himself, his outdoor pioneer heritage, information about his childhood, his love of books and the many challenges he faced as he led a divided nation during the Civil War years. “Lincoln’s character qualities of honesty, leadership and fairness were presented in such a way that students could really connect with them,” said Jen Daly, a 3rd grade teacher. The second and third graders delighted as they performed a good old-fashioned square dance in front of their classmates

In preparation for his visit, teachers throughout the school used a variety of approaches to bring information about Lincoln to their students, including classroom readings and discussions. Students listened attentively and asked some really intelligent questions. Katy Balestraci, a 4th grader, inquired as to whom Abraham Lincoln’s mentors were. Mrs. Vasta, Principal Pre-K – 4, said that after the performance, Mr. Preston stopped before leaving to praise our students and our school. He commented on how warm and courteous our students are and on their enthusiasm about learning.

Special experiences such as this visit to the school by Abraham Lincoln are a perfect example of how the teachers and parents at St. Mary’s work together to help learning come to life for their students. Through these types of experiences, the students are better able to understand the power of one individual’s voice in making a difference in the world.