Students ‘visit’ Olympics, with a genuine torch

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Carteret Elementary School celebrated the opening of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics with a celebration of its own on Thursday, Feb. 8. The activity was festive with songs, paper flags, and promotional films on winter Olympic events, and South Korea, where PyeongChang is located. But the highlight was the appearance of an actual Olympics torch that was once carried by a Carteret teacher. All classes attended the event in the multipurpose room.

The Olympic flame originates in Olympia, Greece. From there, a single flame is relayed by runners and disabled participants whose torch has been ignited by the preceding relayer. Once a relayer passes on the flame, their torch is extinguished. In this way, torch by torch, relayer by relayer, the flame is carried to the host city were the Games are being held. Transporting the flame begins months before the competition. The PyeongChang Olympics is scheduled for Feb 9 to 25.

The torch at the Carteret event on Thursday belongs to sixth-grade, mathematics teacher Wendy Walker who helped carry the flame through the U.S. for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. She carried the flame in New Hampshire.

At the Carteret event, the students sat on the floor. Principal John Baltz addressed them. He said they were going to see an actual Olympic torch and that it took 7,000 people to relay the flame to the Olympics this year.

“That represents the demonstration of power when people come together,” he said. “It reminds me of Carteret. We don’t have sports but we have academics — PARCC tests. Just like the torch represents teamwork, we come together for PARCC.”
Olympic athletes do not just show up at the Olympics on the day they compete, Baltz said.

They train and prepare for three years just as Carteret students prepare for taking the PARCC tests.
“We’ve won silver and bronze, not the gold,” he said. “In class, do your work and at home, do your homework. Let’s come together and shine like one bright flame. Let the games begin.”

Students representing all grades then entered carrying handmade pictures of the flags representing the 92 participating countries in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Everyone began to loudly chant, “Do your best! Do your best! Do your best!”
A short video on the Winter Olympics followed. It was created to give thrills and from the reaction of the students, it succeeded. This was followed by a short video on South Korean culture.

Walker then descended the steps into the room, bearing the torch. She was wearing a white, loose-fitting overall provided by the Olympic Committee when she carried the torch. She circled the floor area and posed for photographs. When she ascended the steps to depart, all the students chanted: “USA! USA! USA!” A group of them then sang a song titled, “Let the games begin.”

In Baltz’s office following the assembly, Walker, who has worked in the district for 44 years, 40 at Carteret, said she had written an essay in 2002 to be chosen to carry the flame. She carried it for about one-quarter mile on Dec. 28, 2002, before transferring it to another runner. Walker said 11,500 people in the U.S. carried the flame in 2002. It had been transported by jet from Greece to Atlanta.

All Olympics have a motto, she said, and in the 2002 Summer Olympics it was “Light the fire within.” For the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the motto is “Passion. Connected.”
Walker was assisted by teacher Amy Garcia in staging the Olympic event at the school.

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