Thirty fifth graders from nine local school districts recently learned about one of the oldest examples of a democratic government when they watched the Catskill Puppet Theater’s original puppet show, “Hiawatha,” during a Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program event.
Puppeteers and their puppets told the story of Hiawatha, a peaceful leader who united five First Nations – Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk – into the Iroquois Confederacy.
After the show and a question and answer session about how the show was developed, the puppeteers led students in a session of making rod puppets.
“The students’ creativity and interest was exciting to watch, and their finished puppets were amazing,” Honors Program Coordinator Deborah Schoff said.
The Herkimer BOCES Honors Program “Catskill Puppet Theater” event took place on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the Herkimer Middle-High School Auditorium. Students from Central Valley, Dolgeville, Frankfort-Schuyler, Herkimer, Little Falls, Owen D. Young, Poland, Richfield Springs and West Canada Valley participated in the event.
“Thank you, Catskill Puppet Theater, for an excellent show and an exciting day of creativity,” Schoff said. “Also, thank you, Herkimer Central School District, for allowing the Honors Program to use the high school auditorium for this wonderful experience.”
After completing their puppets, students worked in groups to create short skits and perform with their puppets.
“Many discovered using the puppet was more of a challenge than they thought,” Schoff said. “Much practice was needed.”
The Herkimer BOCES Honors Program is open to students in Herkimer BOCES component school districts and is designed to support the potential of students in grades 3-12 who have above average interests and abilities in a particular area. Programs allow for interaction with like-minded peers. Students learn by engaging in educational activities with presenters who are noted in their field. Exploration and programs provide for different learning styles and include topics in the arts and sciences as well as literature and history. Ongoing evaluation of all programs by teachers and students assures their relevance and quality.
