First Graders Dream Big and Shine

Getting a child to dress up for church can sometimes be a challenge, but asking a child to dress up as what they want to be when they grow up, no problem! That was the case for our first graders who dressed up as their grown-up working selves, in their careers of choice, and performed in front of everyone in the school’s first grade program, Dream Big.

“It’s become a wonderful tradition at SBS,” exclaimed Lower School Student Life Coordinator Lorraine Koerner. “It’s one of the first times students present in front of so many people, memorize a speech and learn to overcome any fear of public speaking.”

Dozens of family members and friends packed the Sanctuary on October 20 for Dream Big, which included the first graders singing the songs, “I Am A Promise”, “God Has A Plan For Me” and “I Wanna Be Like Jesus.”

Parents and grandparents beamed with pride and cheered during the presentations of future doctors, chefs, policemen, firefighters, ballerinas, builders, a race car driver and a roller coaster operator, among other professions. 

Playing dress-up as a child is fun and something of a rite of passage, which offers early development skills in literacy, life skills and creative play. Second Baptist School’s Dream Big presentation takes it to the next level, with first graders studying their future careers, preparing their speech, costumes and rehearsing the program.   

First grade teacher Liza Brown knows first-hand, “Dream Big allows the children to discuss and explore what things might look like for them in their future careers. The students also loved the process of learning to perform on stage and in front of an audience.”

The audience, apparently, loved it, too. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the young professionals sang their songs of hope and presented their speeches. As the performance came to an end and the happy first graders marched up the aisle, smiling and waving to family and friends, there was a gentle voice that whispered,”these are our world changers.”

Photos from Dream Big 2022