Parents, friends and members of the community shook hands with some of history’s most famous movers and shakers at the John Small Elementary School gymnasium on Thursday for a student project called ‘Hall of Heroes’.

Fourth and fifth grade students, portraying more than 95 historical figures and modern newsmakers, in full costume and scenery, presented a living wax museum dubbed the ‘Hall of Heroes’.

According to Laura Horton, an enrichment teacher at John Small, students in her and Ms. Bryant’s class were tasked with selecting someone in history who they consider to be a hero. The definition of a hero was “it had to be someone who has made a positive impact on someone else,” according to Horton. Each student chose a significant person who they considered to be a hero, researched that person, then wrote a rough draft for a report on their selected person. Horton then collaborated with students to proof and edit their drafts in order to create final copies for the reports.

“After that, they were able to create a display of their person,” Horton said. “Then, we decided to do a living wax museum so the students could showcase these heroes. That’s why we call it the ‘Hall of Heroes.’”

According to Horton, the students were asked to memorize two or three sentences about their hero in order to present themselves to parents and others during the museum.

Among the 95 historical figures were Babe Ruth, Nelson Mandella, Michael Jordan, Anne Frank, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley and many others.

Fifth-grader, Tristan Pake, played Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps.

“Hello. My name is Michael Phelps,” Pake said. “I hold the world record for the most Olympic gold medals in swimming. I started a foundation that focuses on sports, swimming and promoting healthy lifestyles.”