Third Grade Hosts Explorer Meet-and-Greet

Explorers are always charting new paths, so it makes sense that the Third Grade Explorer Hall of Fame project changed course a bit as well. Mrs. Gekas continued her long-standing tradition of asking students to create life-size figurines of some of the world’s most famous explorers, but rather than confining them to a “museum,” they convened in Barnesville’s Library for a cafe-style meet-and-greet.
Mrs. Gekas and the third grade students also used the event to honor retiring School Librarian Cindy Barr, dedicating the evening to her in celebration of her next big adventure.
After a family picnic outside, students and parents gathered in the “Library Cafe” for entertainment, serenading Mrs. Barr her with the song, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”
The official program opened with a rhythmic recitation an African folktale followed by their third grade song, “We go where we have never never been before...To explore! To explore! To explore!”
Having researched their adopted explorers over the past several weeks, students showed maps they’d created and shared knowledge about some of the world’s great expeditions and the people who led them. They also designed book covers, re-imagining titles for the biographies of Sacagawea, Annie Smith Peck, Louise Arner Boyd, Jane Goodall, Neil Armstrong, Howard Carter, and Ernest Shackleton.
After the meet-and-greet, children sang, “What a Wonderful World,” and enjoyed a cake with Mrs. Barr and special guests attending in her honor, including retired music teacher, Mrs. Taylor.
The Explorer Hall of Fame is a Barnesville School Signature Curriculum Event. Barnesville third graders are true Explorers!
Photos can be viewed on Facebook.