Third grade students from six Westerville elementary schools (Emerson, Hanby, Hawthorne, Huber Ridge, Pointview and Whittier) presented a rousing patriotic concert entitled “United We Stand” on Tuesday evening, November 17, at the Vineyard church in Columbus.
In preparation for the show, all the schools learned the same collection of musical numbers and choreography, including a rap of the Pledge of Allegiance and a tribute to our armed services. The pupils were directed by music educators Mary Fortman (Emerson and Hanby); Cynthia Kinser (Huber Ridge); Evan McIntyre (Pointview and Whittier) and Sarah McPeak (Hawthorne.)
The goal is to create an annual shared musical experience and eventually expand the concert to be a district-wide performance. “We hope this will create a sense of unity amongst our elementary schools and the community,” said the organizers. “In the future, we want to build further connections and establish a service aspect to the project.”