Quidnessett Elementary Students Journey Through Their School Year

Hundreds of parents and siblings gathered Wednesday night in the cafeteria of for a fourth-grade showcase titled "I Hear America Singing." Louise Denette, principal at Quidnessett Elementary School, welcomed students' family members before sending them to their respective student's classroom.

"I can't be happier to showcase what your students have done this year," Denette said. "They have learned so much about relationships, about respect, about learning how to work together. It's amazing to see how far they've come."

Students and their teachers proceeded to show off projects and portfolios compiled throughout the academic year. 

For fourth-grade teacher Kristen Beland, the year was an especially memorable one. Beland said this year's group of fourth-graders was one of the most diverse she's had. 

"We really worked hard to come together as a group," Beland said of her students. "The end result is probably the most beautiful I've seen in the nine years of me working at Quidnessett," she added during an interview with Patch.

According to Beland, two of the keys to this year's success were attentive parents and her fellow fourth-grade teachers. "We have phenomenal parent support," she said. "And then I have three of the best team members that I could've ever asked for."

As Beland's fourth-graders prepare to move to the fifth grade, Beland says she hopes her students remember the lessons they've learned this year, and that they "know they're extremely capable of anything that they want to do."

Althea Clark, 10, told Patch her school year was one for the books. "I had a lot of fun," Althea said as she showed her mother, Meredith Clark, the portfolio she'd amassed during the year. 

Though Althea doesn't yet know which teacher she wants for fifth grade, she's excited to continue her education. What most excites her about fifth grade? "The end of the year," she said, adding she's even more excited for middle school and her own locker. 

Having transitioned to North Kingstown last year from Middletown, Mrs. Clark said she and her daughter are "thrilled with the North Kingstown School District."

And they aren't the only ones.

"I love this school," said Nicole Rose, mother of fourth-grader Giovannina Ragosta. "She did really good this year," Rose said of her daughter. "Her teacher's very, very good."

Ross Strobert, 10, had glowing things to say about his teacher, Robert Degnan. "He'll take something from learning and make it into something that's really fun,"said Ross, adding Degnan likes to sometimes break into random spurts of song and dance.

After students walked their parents through their classrooms for a virtual tour of the United States, from the Northeast to the Wild West, chaos reigned as students rushed to get into costume for the evening's highlight: a transcontinental performance of "I Hear America Singing"—a play in which students gave an oral history of the different regions in the United States. Capping it off was a sweeping rendition of "Fifty Nifty United States."

Students grinned from ear to ear after the performance, as parents rose to give the group a standing ovation. 

Denette closed the evening's program by asking parents to encourage their students not to suspend their children's education during the summer months. "We don't want them to fall back over," she said. 

To the soon-to-be fifth graders, Denette said, "No slowing down over the summer; got that boys and girls?"

For more information on Quidnessett Elementary School, call 541-6360 or visit www.nksd.net.