Most funerals are considered a somber occasion, however, the funeral that was held Friday at Columbia Elementary School was a joyous, festive time for the simple reason that the children are growing up.
Fourth-grade students attended the funeral to say good-bye to what teacher Danielle Whittington called “baby words.” The students are of the age where, instead of saying something is big, they can say it was enormous. Instead of being happy, a person is joyous or exciting or any other adjectives.
“Writing is a huge source of stress for the kids, they are scared of it,” Whittington said.
Officiating the ceremony was Assistant Principal Leslie Smith. She spoke from a podium surrounded by funeral sprays, which were loaned by Moree’s Florists.
“I’m sure many of you recall moments when these overused words were your anchors,” Smith said in delivering her “eulogy.”
Smith said it was time to lay to rest words like good and use proficient, little for insufficient or microscopic, and other words such as small and bad for more grade level appropriate words.
Afterwards, students placed the overused words in a casket inside of a hearse, provided by Hathorn Funeral Home, with funeral directors Chris Turnage and Marcus Kelly to the sound of traditional Mardi Gras style music.
The students, teachers and others then took part in a traditional New Orleans style “second walk.” They followed the hearse down High School Avenue and turned at Church Street and walked up the alley next to the school in a festive celebration of sending off the small words.
While the event was something the students really enjoyed, it was also designed to incorporate growth in them. The event not only allowed a way to introduce larger words, but taught them a little about the Day of the Dead for cultural awareness and added fitness to the blend as an added bonus.
Whittington said, by encouraging the use of a larger vocabulary, it helps the students to create their own writing styles and endorses creativity.
The fourth-grade English Language Arts teachers, consisting of Courtney Holland, Emily Knight and Whittington, came up with the idea of doing a traditional New Orleans style funeral. They wanted to come up with something that was fun and different so the students will always remember.
