The fifth-grade musical at Central Elementary School has been a long standing tradition. Music teacher Charisse Merrick has directed a number of them, from “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” to “Annie,” but this year’s fifth-grade class knows that their show could very well be the most memorable in school history.

Central will no longer have a fourth- and fifth-grade at the end of this school year. Those grade levels will move to the new Clarks Creek Elementary School starting in 2008-09, which means that the always anticipated spring musical will also bid farewell.

“It makes me want to do my part perfect,” Central fifth-grader Morgan Burrin said.

Burrin will play one of the servant girls, along with classmates Brownyn Collier, Amelia Langhart, and Olivia Moore.

“It’s awesome,” Collier added. “The fourth-graders are so jealous.”

Even Central Principal Mike Underwood is getting into the act. He will play the role of the Wizard in this year’s production.

Merrick will stay at Central and teach the younger grades, though she says that she will miss the annual fifth-grade performance.

“It is a tradition here and I’ll really miss doing these, but we’ll keep working with the younger ones,” she said.

Proud parent Katrina Russell, whose son Nolan will play the Tin Man, credited Merrick with helping to discover a talent she didn’t even realize her son had.

“She’s awesome and she puts all of her heart in this,” Russell said. “We found out he has a pretty nice little singing voice so when we found out that he had a lead part we were really excited.”

The performance will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Central gymnasium.

For more information, call 839-7707.

Brian Kern writes for the Hendricks County Flyer in Avon, Ind.