Frenship elementary schools are always looking for ways to get parents involved and showcase all that the students are learning. This spring, Westwind Elementary and Willow Bend Elementary decided to host individual music programs to showcase the musical talent their students have learned through the year.  

At Westwind, the show was called The Best Pet Show Ever and was performed by 87 first graders. The setting was a pet show with students introducing their pets and explaining why their pets are the best. The musical included songs about cats, dogs, bunnies, snakes, the SPCA, and responsible pet ownership. 

At Willow Bend, 150 second-grade students performed "The Day the Crayons Quit", which was based on the book by Drew Daywalt. In this book, Duncan's crayons wrote letters expressing their emotions at the variety of their usage. The letters were grouped by emotion and followed by songs of similar grouping.  

The students at each of the schools worked so hard leading up to their performance, with weeks of practice between them. The music teachers praised their students for their work ethic and sense of teamwork.  

“They continually blow me away with their willingness to take on new challenges and step into the spotlight,” said Colleen Wardlaw, music teacher at Westwind. “They are amazing at encouraging each other to do their best at every rehearsal and supporting each other when they feel like something might be too difficult. Their ability to lead each other with empathy and kindness is apparent in everything they tackle together.” 

At each show, the students blew away audiences with their fun dialogue and clever music selections. At Westwind, a fan favorite song was Let’s Hear it for the SPCA, which is styled after the YMCA song. The students loved dancing and making the letters SPCA with their arms. The number brought laughter from both the students and the audience. At Willow Bend, the students’ favorite selection was Eye of the Tiger and We're Not Gonna Take It, which featured an air guitar solo moment.  

Megan Boone, the Willow Bend music teacher, stated that the students were so excited to show their program to their families.  

“All students love to share with their parents what we work on at school,” said Boone. “Programs are an exciting way to get parents involved in their child's school lives while enjoying some fun music along the way! I am so proud of the students!  They learned all the words to all the songs and had fun doing it.”