7th grade MERIT students at TCMS recently participated in a historical experience at the Thomasville Center for the Arts. First, students viewed an original production about the immigration experience at Ellis Island at the turn of the century. Following the show, students participated in two of four workshops which exposed them to various cultures of those who immigrated during the time period. Dance, drama, stories, and art were all included in the immigration experience.

Kenneth Baggett stated that he "learned that the documentation of immigrants is important."  De'Shaun Lovejoy said that "it was very interesting to learn to dance the Torentilla, which was an Italian dance to remove the venom of a Tarantula."

Mrs. Ward said that her students loved the opportunity to get outside of the classroom to experience what they were learning about in class.  She further stated that this experience allowed students to be exposed to cultures and time periods that they may never have had the opportunity to experience otherwise.  Some of the workshops really allowed students the opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone to enjoy activities of other cultures.

To view more pictures from this experience, click the link below:

DELTA Ellis Island Dance Workshop