Hat challenge takes 1st place

A first-place winning elementary team chose the challenge, “How’d tHAT Happen?” They created a performance of an original story set in Egypt that featured a pharaoh hat, integrating research about the country into their presentation.

The six-member team, from Lakeland School District’s STRIVE program, includes Betty Kiefer Elementary sixth-grade students Sarah Watson, Megan Rotz and Chelsea Bayley; John Brown Elementary sixth-grader Maddi Ray and fifth-grader Kelsey Ziegler; and Garwood Elementary sixth-grader, Kelsey Piva. The students are all 11 to 12 years old.

Team member Ray says, “Our team presented our story as an action/adventure. Under the rules, we used a technical method to design a hat to transform the wearer, causing a bizarre happening.”

To create the pharaoh hat, the team studied pictures. They bent wire into the shape, glued it to a baseball hat minus-the-bill, and sewed fabric around it. They glued green fabric ribbon to it for stripes.

“It turned out really neat,” Ray shares. “For our presentation, Chelsea Bayley played xylophone, dressed as a mummy. Our team circled Kelsey Ziegler with sheets while she put her sphinx costume on; the hat transforming her into a sphinx. The group chanted, and I sang a song I wrote about transformations.”

Bayley, on xylophone; and Ray, on saxophone; wrapped up the presentation performing snake-charming music.

And they all had fun.

“We love working with each other. The most exciting moment was finishing the technical method, and having our names announced at state that we won first place in our challenge.”

Now the challenge is raising funds for the global competition.

“We’ve asked for donations from family and businesses. We need about $5,000, and if our team is really as dedicated as I think they are, we can do it.”