The Third Annual Oscar presentation for the Third-grade students at Cherry Avenue, Sayville, was another starlet-studded gala of award-winning personalities that had everyone applauding.
Hollywood star decals on the floor led invited guests to the red carpet entrance of the cafeteria and through the artfully decorated doorway. Within, life-sized golden Oscar posters flanked the stage.
The audience twittered and pointed with excitement as the nominees hurried past to take their places for the ceremony. From the moment the stage curtains parted for.
The opening song and dance number (directed by music teacher Kristi Woerner) until the last award category was announced, all eyes focused on the glamorously dressed winners of the golden statuettes.
And every Third-grader was a winner, for one attribute or other, such as Best Supporting Speller, Best Script, Math Action Star, Best Leading Attitude, and Best Set Design. The winners were determined by ballots cast by their teachers and classmates in advance of the ceremony.
The Third-grade teachers, donning feather boas and tiaras, hosted the event and announced the category winners. Each Oscar winner took the stage and gave a speech thanking the important people in his or her life… “mom and dad for homework help; sisters or brothers for being nice; for best friends, and for the teachers who made it all possible.”
A special Life-Time Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Rosemary Jones, Sayville Schools Superintendent, who will be stepping down at the end of this academic year. Dr. Jones expressed her tremendous gratitude to her fellow Oscar Winners for their support and for the lifetime of wonderful memories the Sayville students have given her over the years.
The Cherry Avenue Oscar Ceremony, a self-esteem promotional program, has been the brainchild of Third-grade teacher Mrs. Geraldine Batterberry who saw it as a creative way to fulfill the New York State Standards for public speaking.
Yet, without the indispensable assistance of her Third-grader colleagues Mrs. Donnelly, Mrs. Fulton, and Mrs. Falco, along with the support of Principal John Stimmel, music teacher Kristi Woerner, Mrs. Batterberry’s idea would not have been such an extravaganza that delighted everyone.
For the real stars of the show, the Cherry Avenue students, who proved to be confident and poised before the large crowds, the Oscar ceremony may have been just the beginning of illustrious careers in public speaking. Time will tell…