Taking state-mandated exams can be grueling, but students at Ignacio Elementary School have something fun to look forward to while they study: showcasing their skills at the school’s first talent show after testing wraps up.
The inaugural Bobcats’ Got Talent show is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 12, in the Ignacio High School auditorium. Nineteen acts will be performed involving more than 30 students from kindergarten to fifth grade.
Tracy Strohl, a kindergarten teacher at Ignacio Elementary, is the driving force behind the event. “This show gives students an opportunity to shine and exhibit talents outside academics,” she said.
Strohl taught for 12 years in Stockton, California, where she established her first talent show. There, she saw the benefits kids gain from the experience and decided to take the idea with her when she moved to Colorado.
Interested students tried out, and those who made the cut had to rehearse to improve their talents. “Some people find it harsh that the kids are required to try out, but it’s like any sport,” Strohl said. “If you’re ready and practiced, you’ll get in. Most kids do.”
There will be something to do for everyone who wants to be involved, even for those with stage fright who prefer to work behind the scenes. The show will be entirely student-run, with kids helping as stagehands and as the show’s emcee.
Strohl said the kids get excited to perform and see the talent show as a reward for all their hard work throughout the school year. “There will be a lot of talents featured at the show … We have kids dancing, singing, using a pogo stick … there is a variety,” she said.
The event is as rewarding for Strohl as it is for the students, if not more so. It is another great part of being a teacher, she said “My hopes and dreams for the children are for them to be inspired. I want them to reach for their dreams,” Strohl said. “I hope they realize what they are able to pursue in the future, even if it is not a subject like math or science.”
mrupani@durangoherald.com
