In honor of Heritage Day at Tilden Elementary Center on Oct. 18, elementary students from Tilden and Perry worked on a project that signified them coming together as one for this school year.
The students worked on creating an album quilt as well as creating a block that they could take home with them. To make the album quilt, each class was given a piece of paper that would have their section number and names on the block. The class then had a chance to design the square however they wished. These class squares will then be used to make actual quilt squares. When finished the quilt will be displayed at Tilden and will be a reminder of the year all the Hamburg elementary students were together in one school.
‘Just like us coming together as one together this year, the blocks will come together as one to make a quilt,’ said one helper during the craft explanation to the students.
Volunteers helped teachers with the crafts and each class had a bag with an explanation of the project, the block for the section, construction paper and a bag of shapes for each student to make their own quilt square.
Along with the craft, the students also had an assembly with Charlie Adams on heritage. Being October, Adams told a few of the spookier tales in the Hamburg area which the students enjoyed and paid close attention to.
‘We have a colorful heritage rooted in tradition and suspicion,’ said Adams. ‘This is my heritage.’
Adams told ghost stories of places the children were familiar with or had at least heard of including Hawk Mountain, Blood Springs Road and Witchcraft hill. He even included a friendly ghost story involving his grandfather and mother when he was just a tiny baby.
‘It’s the stories that hit home,’ said Adams. ‘Those are the real ghost stories.’
Toward the end of his presentation, Adams made a memorable closing. He told the students that he felt a presence in the room that they were in and told them that he was going to attempt to see if the presence would make itself known. As he instructed everyone in the room to stare at one of the banners hanging on the other side, he mumbled a few words. Other than those words the gym was completely quiet. It was then that Adams loudly said ‘Boo’ making just about everyone in the audience jump.
He explained that it was a cheap trick, but that he did get the reaction that he wanted. The students were laughing after he explained showing that there were no hard feelings despite the quick scare.
Students had a chance to learn a brief bit of local history from a charismatic speaker and take part in a project that will be unveiled and displayed at Tilden Elementary Center once completed to celebrate their heritage.
