The Ceremony Of Olympic Gains

By Tanjua Damon

Reed Intermediate School fifth graders in the Discovery program turned into gods and goddesses March 21 during a “Ceremony of Olympic Gains” for their families. It was a celebration of the imaginative and philosophical world of Greek mythology.

The fifth graders brought Mount Olympus to Newtown as they shared their knowledge of ancient Greece and assumed the identity of a Greek god or goddess they felt contributed or could have contributed to humankind. The students spent time prior to the celebration researching their chosen god or goddess to bring them back to life to compete for a humanitarian award.

Catherine Kappauf portrayed Athena because she felt Athena had similarities to herself. Athena was known as the goddess of reason, wisdom, truth, purity, and invention. Catherine realized that the Greek gods and goddess, although immortal, resemble what people are like today.

“There’s a god or goddess for everything,” she said. “Like people today, they aren’t perfect. We all have some good attributes. We’re all good people in some way.”

Pandora captured Rosalind Kichler’s attention because she was a goddess that was forgotten. Pandora trapped hope into her box and let all evils out.

“It was a challenge because you were trying to think of a humanitarian,” Rosalind said. “Judgment needs to be balanced with curiosity. There’s always hope.”

Nathaniel Burns found Helios to be interesting and very focused, which helped him learn a lesson about himself during the project.

“The cycle he went through every day [was interesting]. He was a systematic person,” he said. “I needed to manage my time better. I felt myself rushing at times. I also discovered I’m a pretty good writer.”

Matt Iassogna related to Posiedon, the water god, because he loves being in the water and swimming. Matt was intrigued with Poseidon’s way of dealing with his anger –– sinking ships.

“I’m not a very good writer,” Matt said. “I learned that if I spend time I can write pretty good.”

Alex Kron hoped to change people’s perceptions of Hades since many feel he is bad since he lives in the underworld.

“I thought he wasn’t a bad person. I think he is misunderstood,” Alex said. “I learned that I could be more creative than I thought I could be.”

Jenn Callery brought Hestia, the goddess of home, hearth, and domestic joy, to life. Hestia is known for creating the house. Jenn learned projects do not always have to be as structured as she might think they need to be.

“I wanted more people to know how she helped the world,” Jenn said. “She protected a lot of children and made sure people were well and always safe and warm. She was the kindest of the gods.

“Everything doesn’t have to have limits or boundaries,” Jenn added. “I learned I could be more creative.”

Katie Holroyd found the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, someone she could relate to. Artemis is also the goddess of the moon.

“I really love animals,” Katie said. “Finding traits about her was challenging. She was a different kind of a loner. It made me feel like she can help without others because she is strong. I can change into a lot of things. I sort of brought myself into her, so I’m always going to be myself.”