Students Simulate Ellis Island Experience

Third-graders from now know what it was like for the early immigrants to enter our country.

The teachers, 90 children and 65 parents enacted a simulation of Ellis Island on Tuesday in their "Journey to America," complete with authentic costumes, props and signage all set up in the multi-purpose room.

Even photos were taken with a sepia effect.

According to the Willow site: "The students have been studying the period of immigration between 1892 through 1954. During this simulation, students played the role of immigrants coming to Ellis Island. Each student was given an identity for the day of simulation. Immigrants simulated what it was like to go through the process of coming to Ellis Island and getting processed.

"Willow parents and volunteers played the roles of processors who processed the immigrants. As students moved through the processing process, they answered questions according to their character. By the end of the simulation, students became citizens of the United States of America."