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Fifth and sixth grade girls perform "Boogie Shoes"

Fifth and sixth grade girls perform "Boogie Shoes"

Fifth and sixth grade girls perform "Boogie Shoes"

Alex Karmondi performs "Do It Again"

First and third grade girls perform "Teamwork"

First and third grade girls perform "Teamwork"

Walker Stephenson performs "He's a Pirate"

Burch family performs "True Colors"

Fifth grade girls

Fifth grade girls

Fifth grade girls

Fifth grade girls perform "Monsters"

Alyssa Barnes performs "Once Upon a December"

Fourth grade boys

Fourth grade boys perform a "Hee Haw" skit

First Grade Bees

First Grade Bees

First Grade Bees

First Grade Bees perform "Beautiful Attitudes"

P.J. Gaskins sings "A Million Dreams"

Dobbs Duell plays drums

NORTH SHELBY – Westminster School at Oak Mountain students entertained the audience while generating funds for a Fairfield ministry during the annual Variety Show held Friday, Feb. 2.

Attendees were treated to 24 acts from more than 100 students, including everything from instruments and singing to dances and comedic skits.

“We just try to have a variety of acts and ages—some of them are funny and some are just some really talented students,” Westminster Lower School Head Lori Jill Keeler said.

Some students performed individually, while others formed groups made up of classmates, and performers developed their own acts.

Tryouts were held Jan. 23.

Daniel Godfrey and Porter Lunsford were part of a group of 24 sixth grade boys who danced and sang to “Soul Patrol.”

“We were going to do ‘Soul Patrol’ chain gang, but we ran out of time,” Godfrey said.

“We’re basically summing up our time at Westminster Lower School—the (Washington D.C.) trip and giving credit to our teachers,” Lunsford added.

Rachael Whitley and Adde Wright, meanwhile, said their group of 15 fifth grade girls was meant to give all the girls in the grade the opportunity to participate.

“Some people in the fifth grade were feeling kind of excluded, and we just felt inspired by that,” Whitley said.

The group danced to “Monsters.”

“The monsters are trying to become friends with us, but we just think they’re scary,” said Wright, who played a human in the performance.

Admission to the event was $5, and several thousand dollars was expected to be generated for the school’s missions focus through admissions and donations, Keeler said.

The Variety Show benefits a different ministry each year, and this year the beneficiary is Urban Hope Ministries, which is based in Fairfield and disciples to the urban poor.

Westminster students have participated in Urban Hope’s service projects, and Upper School students sold T-shirts to generate funds for the ministry.

Urban Hope Founder Alton Hardy and his wife Sandra attended the Variety Show and spoke to the audience about their efforts.

All 36 of Keeler’s team members at Westminster’s Lower School help to put on the production, with tasks ranging from taking admission, crowd control, sound and cleaning.

Kerry Cobb and Upper School Head Chris Knowles served as masters of ceremonies.

To view and purchase photos from the event, visit ShelbyCountyPhotos.com.

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