5th Grade Torture

You’d think I would get melancholy about attending possibly my last elementary school program. Not so - I couldn’t wait until it was over. We sat through 18 patriotic songs and vignettes, at least one speaking part from everyone in the entire 5th grade, 3 dances, 2 choral readings (including one in sign language) and a slide show set to music. I am exhausted. It was sappy and melodramatic and oddly funny at times.

Each song had a vignette that went along with where kids acted out what was happening in the song. Two vignettes made me feel a little squirmy. When the kids sang “Battle of New Orleans” there was a boy pointing a facsimile rifle at everyone in the audience. During “Go Down Moses” another boy posed with a whip held high in the air over 5 cowering girls, 4 of whom were of Hispanic or Arab descent.

The highlight of the program was a rollicking jig about the Titanic disaster. The tune is similar to the Wiggles version of Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes.

Words to the chorus:

Oh it was sad, so sad, oh it was sad.. (it was sad.)
It was sad when the great ship went down.. (to the bottom of the sea).
Husbands, wives and children lost their lives.
It was sad when the great ship went down (it was sad).

Maybe next year they’ll sing a little ditty about the bombing of Hiroshima!