THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 3, 1995 TAG: 9505020132
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA McNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CARROLLTON LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
Local storyteller Becky Gwaltney scanned the audience of students in the Carrollton Elementary School cafetorium and pointed at the next lucky youngster to come on down.
At first, Blake Spady thought he was a lucky kid, getting to help the story teller.
He thought he was lucky, that is, until Blake found out he had been selected to be ``the man all tattered and torn that kissed the maiden all forlorn that milked the cow with the crumpled horn that tossed the dog that worried the cat that killed the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.''
For the first-grader, the thought of kissing a girl was too much. Instead of cooperating, he threw his hands over his face and moaned.
The audience of children roared. Finally, the reluctant suitor threw a kiss somewhere in the air to fulfill the obligation of his role.
And Gwaltney, just one of the attractions at Carrollton Elementary last week - when the school celebrated The Week of the Young Child - was finally able to finish the story about ``The House that Jack Built.''
The Week of the Young Child was observed across the nation from April 23 through 29, said Sharon Lenz, a teacher who coordinated the activities. So the staff at Carrollton planned a week of activities for the children.
On Monday, there was a school picnic. The cafeteria staff packed lunches in bags, and the children who wanted to do so were allowed to eat on the school grounds.
Tuesday, it was Movement to Music day. Cathy Sershen visited the school to teach aerobics at every grade level.
Wednesday brought a local musical group, Serenade, led by Willis Minga, to the school to play Disney tunes for the children. The group is made up of three stringed instruments and a piano.
Thursday was open house. Children from the Head Start Program toured the local elementary school and had lunch with the kindergarten classes. The school was opened for community tours, and every child at the school got a pine tree seedling to take home. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LINDA McNATT
Carrollton Elementary School students help Becky Gwaltney tell the
story of ``The House that Jack Built.''
by CNB