Roanoke Rapids students present living‑history museum; board praises in‑class research project

Fifth graders from Manning Elementary showcased a living‑history museum to the Roanoke Rapids City Schools Board of Trustees on March 17, presenting first‑person biographies of historical figures and explaining their research.

Mandy Clark, the district’s public student information officer, introduced four students selected to present. Students took first‑person roles — one as Helen Keller, another as Blackbeard, a third as Frederick Douglass and a fourth as Indira Gandhi — and each described the life and contributions of their chosen historical figure. Teachers Lauren Medlin and Morgan Ay told the board the project grew from a biography unit into a year‑end, student‑centered research project completed in class.

Board members praised the presentations as meaningful classroom work. Dr. Daly, who spoke after the presentations, said he visited several classrooms and noted the level of student engagement, adding that the quality of the work shows in recent system improvements.

The board applauded the students and their teachers and thanked the community for supporting in‑class learning experiences.