By Tiffany Morgan, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN — Inside the doors of North Elementary, a plethora of activities and treats were in store for those who attended during the annual Spring Showcase from 6-8 p.m. May 22.
Artwork of many types filled the halls from each grade, as well as a silent auction and several presentations on gardening, including one on how to properly grow cucumbers.
The silent auction was held in the school’s cafeteria, displaying student artwork that could be bid on. There was a piece of artwork from each grade, and according to Natalie Webb, principal of North Elementary, all proceeds from the silent auction go towards North’s gardening fund.
Gardening was the main focus of the event, with the silent auction, as well as videos on the garden that were created by the students, which were formally entitled “Interactive Garden Presentations.”
The presentations could be viewed from scanning a QR code, which are a new addition to the showcase. Each code displayed a different presentation from students about gardening. Webb said another new component to the showcase night was the Wellness Fair, held in the gymnasium, and it had a different aspect of wellness. The different stations included essential oils, yoga and drug awareness.
In addition to the gardening presentations and silent auction, parents could sign up to help with the garden during the summer season. Webb said it is encouraged for parents to sign up to care take for the garden during the summer. The raffle will be for each grade level, and Webb said she will pull a name from each grade and the winner of that will get free field trips for a year.
Each grade level also participated in the “Entrepreneurship Fair,” which is where each grade learned how to make money and run a business, by selling a product they decide to sell during the showcase.
Webb said she gave each grade a loan and they had to come up with a product to sell during the showcase. Webb added that each grade also has to pay off the loan given to them, “interest free of course,” with the profit they make. Any remaining profit that grade makes during the showcase can keep, with their profits going towards class parties or field trips.
Webb said the showcase for students is a combination of their skills learned during the school year – with writing, reading, gardening as well as a commercial perspective.
“It focuses them to know that this is their end product,” Webb said. “This is a combination of activities that lets them show what they’ve learned in the garden and in the business aspect of gardening that highlights all of the skills that they’ve done.”
Each grade level had a different product to sell such as kindergarten sold slime and fourth grade had sold friendship bracelets.
The showcase takes two weeks to prepare, and the showcase has been an annual event since 2011, and according to Webb, has been well-populated, with around 150 families that come to the showcase each year.
Webb said that her favorite part, this year, about the showcase is the students’ presentations.
“It shows their enthusiasm for learning and they’re so proud of themselves,” Webb said. “They want to share what they know and share their knowledge, and they’re so proud to do it – it just warms my heart.”
