Elementary students strut for “Miss-Alaineus” vocabulary runway
“It all started with the children’s book, Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster,” claimed ES Student Affairs Director, Mr. Trey Fuller. Written by Debra Frasier, the story re-opens the imaginations and creativity of vocabulary usage in young readers through the short story of Sage, who alters her catastrophic misunderstandings of the contest instructions into a triumphant show[1]. According to Mr. Fuller, “she participates in a Vocabulary Parade and contest, and the idea has really caught on!”
And so, on October 31st, from 8:20 A.M. to 9:30 A.M., the Elementary students proudly sauntered across their bricked runway (the MHS Bridge), where each class represented different themes and various vocabulary words.
“Vocabulary Parades are wonderful ways to celebrate our love of words and reading. It also provides a fun and academic focus for dressing up in a creative homemade costume,” Mr. Fuller said proudly. This vocab parade became another Halloween-like dress-up activity for the Elementary students. The instructions were simple and straight-forward. “Students, along with the help and direction of their teachers and parents, choose a grade-appropriate vocabulary word that is new and challenging to represent at the parade. They then think of a creative way to dress up and display this word in the Vocabulary Parade. Finally, they write their vocabulary word on a sign and wear their words with their amazing outfits!”
Harry Potter, Elsa, Michael Jackson, Anna, dinosaurs, crabs, bookworms, soldiers, bodyguards and many more characters showed up to the event. Homeroom teachers and students eagerly participated in this activity, dressing up as their favorite animal, singer, drama character, or object. “There were rarely any overlapping characters!” exclaimed Anne Park (12C). “It is, however, sad that middle high students don’t get to see them.”
While the high school students remained seated for lectures, elementary students aligned themselves along the yellow division line on the bridge and awaited their turn in the spotlight. Some giggled shyly, some posed proudly for the flashes, and some linked their hands together, uniting themselves with a single purpose to depict their wide interests in vocabulary and English language as a whole. Mr. Fuller revealed how this chance provided students with “many opportunities to discover, create, and share their love of words with each other,” and concluded that he wished this parade could remain a long-lasting tradition for SMIC-I Elementary students.
Photo Courtesy by Jennifer Kwon.
[1] Frasier, Debra. Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster. N.p.: Voyager, 2007. Print.