Thanks to a new grant from the Essex Elementary School Foundation, historical musician and artist in residence Doug Day became an integral part of the history teaching going on in the 5th grade during the last two weeks of October.

Day, along with the 5th-grade team and in conjunction with reading consultants at Essex Elementary School collaborated to help the students research, write, and perform a musical based and focused on the history of Essex, Ivoryton, and Centerbrook.

As part of the multifaceted project, students had the chance to interview experts such as Melissa Josefiak from the Essex Historical Society, shanty expert Geoff Kaufman from Mystic Seaport Museum, and local author Jerry Roberts, who has written about the Raid on Essex. In addition, the students visited the Connecticut River Museum and got a chance to tour the Onrust sailboat, currently docked at the museum.

“The Essex Historical Society was thrilled to partner with Essex Elementary and area partners for this new program. It holds so much potential to combine the arts, culture, and local history to form a dynamic way to teach young people about their community,” said Josefiak.

“It has been extremely rewarding to see the students so enthusiastically engaged in learning about the rich history of Essex, Ivoryton, and Centerbrook. The 5th-grade teachers along with our specialist team have collaborated closely with Mr. Doug Day to make this experience a great success,” said Essex Elementary School Principal Jennifer Tousignant. “I am thankful to the Essex Elementary School Foundation for their generosity allowing us to do something new and innovative and trusting that it would be a worthwhile experience for our students. There is no doubt that our 5th graders will forever remember this part of their educational journey.”

“I liked how he [Day] took history and made it fun,” said 5th grader P.J. Doyan. “He changed how we learned things and made it musical and when we shared our historical gems, he was very open to them and wanted to include everyone and make sure we were all having a good time.”

“Sometimes a visiting artist is able to reach students in a different way than their teachers can and that is what I strive for,” Day said. “It’s a different way to supplement what the students are already learning, with theater and story telling and at the end of the two weeks my goal is for the students to be able to tell their stories and have fun doing it.”

The experience culminated with a musical, which was written and performed by the students for the entire school community.

For more information about the Essex Elementary School Foundation, visit info@essexesf.org.