History on display: Burlington students create Living Wax Museum

Published 8:38 am Tuesday, March 3, 2020

BURLINGTON — Entering Burlington Elementary School’s gymnasium on Thursday, visitors were greeted by Betsy Ross and George Washington.

They were but two of the 51 historical figures on display for the second grade’s Living Wax Museum.

For the past four years, teachers Mary Matney, Amanda Clay and Courtney Tibbets have been organizing the event, which was toured by all grades at the school in the morning.

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Students choose their own characters and do research on them, then strike a pose in costume for the presentation.

Some included props, such as Amelia Earhart in her plane, or Dr. Seuss with several of his books.

Characters included U.S. presidents, like Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy and Donald Trump; along with first lady Jackie Kennedy.

Athletes featured included Jackie Robinson, Mary Lou Retton and Ronda Rowsey, while Michael Jackson, Judy Garland, Elvis and Johnny Cash were among the entertainers in the exhibit.

“We had some new characters this year,” Matney said. “Like Pope Francis.”

While some of those featured were repeat favorites, the teachers said many of them were the best versions they had seen yet.

In addition to the school day presentation, the students put on the exhibit in the evening for parents, where they also did an oral report on their characters.