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Murray Journal

Longview celebrates 60 years of learning

Sep 04, 2022 10:38AM ● By Julie Slama

By Julie Slama | [email protected]

For elementary school students, who regularly use the internet to do research, they may have searched to learn John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth 60 years ago, but it may be hard for them to understand that it was that same time period when major new stories were first trans-Atlantic stories were transmitted live on television.

It was the time of the oral polio vaccine was developed, Spider-Man makes his first appearance in comics, the Cuban Missile Crisis, rioting on the University of Mississippi and the death of actress Marilyn Monroe.

It also was when Longview Elementary opened its doors to school children in 10 classrooms. The school cost an estimated $200,000.

Sixty years later, school children relived the music of the times.

The after-school choir gave performances at a spring concert as well as the school’s 60th anniversary celebration, which was held at the end of the school year.

The choir’s repertoire included “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5, “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Temptations and “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.

Also at the celebration, after a couple months of weekly meeting with art and music teacher Lauren King, each grade level sang a song from the ’60s in the school auditorium.

Kindergarten and first grade sang “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” second and third grades sang “Born to be Wild,” fourth and fifth grades sang “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and sixth grade sang “Sweet Caroline.”

During the 60th anniversary celebration, Longview also held a student showcase, which revealed the talent of about 20 students who mostly performed piano, dance and singing.

“It was pretty cool, so many people came to see the kids perform, and it wasn’t just their families coming, it was the community,” first-grade teacher Mike Okumura said. “It was amazing. The kids did a fantastic job, and it all was just great.”

Outside, students had fun on four inflatable bouncy houses, and were joined with their families munching on some hamburgers and watching an outdoor movie.