At the Kennedy Middle School gym on Tuesday, parents and friends watched their elementary-age kids entertain them with songs, dancing, instrumentals and drama.
Yet there was much in the school library, too, for another feature of the showcase event for the annual Gateway summer enrichment program — a wide range of visual art by kids in the largest single group.
Levi Taylor, a rising fourth grader at Byrd Elementary School, proudly displayed the engaging bug he created, which he happily considers a stinkbug.
“It was fun shaping the body and doing all the patterns and stuff,” Taylor said. “I just like sketching and painting, all the techniques of art.”
About 100 students in grades 3 to 5 participated in Gateway this summer, which ended on Wednesday. Another 140 students in grades six through 12 will continue with Gateway next week, wrapping up with their own showcase event on Thursday.
Steve Cheek, a Sego Middle School teacher in Richmond County, is participating in Gateway for the fifth year.
“I just love the kids, and that brings me back,” he said. “It’s more that the kids want to be here than have to. I teach them guitar and also choir as well this year. Each year I teach guitar, I know better how to instruct them.”
Alyssa Long, a rising sixth grader at Leavelle McCampbell Middle School, participated in the drama program and also the chorus.
“I like acting on stage and remembering all those lines,” Long said. “I was being somebody who was country, because she said “y’all’ all the time.”
The participating elementary students were as follows:
• Visual arts – Gabriel Becker, Anna Bradford, Kate Bradford, Ellakyn Brinkley, Morgan Cantrell, Christopher Cisheros, Jacob Clark, Anabelle Clothiaux, Keith Couch, Lila Dawson, Kari Flannings, Evie Fleishman, Maya Fowley, Kate Gibson, Ethan Grant, Kirsten Haney, Marlee Hare, Julia Harper, Hadassah Hedman, Logan Hopson, Macee Johnson, Charlotte Kalbskoph, Myrna Lewis, Susan Li, Gavin Lillard, Allisa Lilly, Dianna Lopez, Ella Mack, Katherine McBride, Owen McCallum, Tiara Missey, Rebecca Moore, Ashley Myrick, Rebeccah Ogbuefi, Parker Welsh, Raylee Pashcal, Eliza Pleming, Jasmine Pope, Emma Poteat, Marshall Robinson, Hayden Rogers, Abigail Sidwell, Elizabeth Smith, Kaleigh Sweetnam, Levi Taylor, Jasmine Trujillo, Ivanna Vasquez, Simon Vaz, Hannah Watson and Anna Wilson.
• Theater – Eden Anzuoni, Mekaihla Blocker, Katelynn Chason, Ella Dietzel, Sydney Echols, Camille Grady, Annelise Hipps, Alyssia Long, Kaylee Ludwig, Michael Newton, Brandon Pope, Bishop Radcliff, Allan Russell, Hailey Sparks, Destiny Williams and Jordan Wilson.
• Dance – Calei Barton, Caley Bright, Liam Culp, Tiana Cummings, Pamela Key, BreAnna Richards and Carolyn Yonn.
• Music – Jordan Bey, Allison Bollig, Nicholas Brazier, Bryce Broadbelt, Erica Childers, Cameron Cook, Lauren Cook, Chylie Copley, Savannah DeGennaro, Cole Fulmer, Avery Gray, Alia Harrison, Aiyana Hightower, Abby Hill, Bryana Jefferson, Isabella Keenan, Sarah Lambert, Shaquan Landy, Trinity Leverette, Lily Livingston, Kalia Moody, Arika Moore, Arin Moore, Madison Neeley, Phillip Perea, Winter Phillips, Adrienne Prupis, Ian Reece, Hailey Steel, Mary Swygert, Cecilia Thomas, Amya Toole, Jordan Trosper, Malcolm Walcott, Madeline Widner and Ethan Youmans.
