4th Grade “Go Texan!” Program
for Family and Friends: Thursday night, February 25th at 6:30 PM for RIZ staff and students: Friday morning, February 26th at 8:30 AM
Everyone dresses like a cowboy or cowgirl unless you are dressing in something else that fits your speaking part.
Sing The Eyes of Texas and Home on the Range
1. Welcome to Rizzuto where we are celebrating, “Go Texan Day!”
It’s a great way to kick off the start to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo…I say!
2. But we also want to honor our proud Texas roots! So we’ve put on our Texan duds, and we’ve shined up our boots! (Erica, dress like a cowgirl…you’re going to need some boots)
3. We will pledge our allegiance to our nation and state’s flags and sing their anthems on this day.
Then a few Texas state facts we will share, beginning with the letter A.
Will you please stand with us as we recite our pledges to our nation and state and sing their anthems?
Attention. Salute. Pledge. Say the pledge to the American flag. Sing The Star Spangled Banner.
Attention. Salute. Pledge. Say the pledge to the Texas flag. Sing Texas, Our Texas. You may be seated.
3. Just one more song before the alphabet facts for the state we love so dear.
Whatever you’re looking for in a state, we’re sure you’ll probably find it here… in Texas, that is.
Sing: There’s a Little Bit of Everything in Texas
4. (wear a Goddess of Liberty costume) A is for Austin, a capitol so tall. Here laws are made, pledging justice for all.
5. (I have a basket of artificial bluebonnets this person can carry) B is for Bluebonnet---roadside blossoms saying, “Hello!” Our state’s official flower greeting friends we want to know.
6. C is for cowboys and cattle, riding over the Chisholm Trail. Chuck wagons, chili con carne, at night a lonesome guitar tale. (dress like a cowboy)
6. Part 2 of C (wear a Cowboys jersey) C can also stand for Dallas Cowboys…maybe you’ve heard of “America’s team!” some like to yell!
Whether you are for them…or against them…let’s give a respectful cheer for the team we all know so well! Everyone: Go Cowboys!
Sing: Lone Star Trail -
7. (holding a Dr Pepper…or poster of Dr Pepper)
D is for Dr Pepper-over 100 years of soda to savor. Invented in a Texas drugstore, mixing 23 different fruit flavors.
And just for fun…a little Rizzuto faculty trivia that is definitely not concealed.
Dr Pepper is the favorite beverage of one of our RIzzuto’s counselor, our beloved Ms. Mansfield.
8. El Paso starts with E, the “pass of the North.” The Rio Grande crossing where explorers set forth. (cowgirl)
9. F is for Friendship, “We extend our hand to you.” This is our state motto! Please accept our friendship too!
Dressed like a cowgirl
10. G is for Gemstone! How beautiful you are! Blue topaz is the state gem. The cut is called lone star.
(girl dressed flashy…like a diva…wearing topaz rings, necklaces)
11. Hello. My name is Sam Houston, I’m a legend of our state. Houston is named after me, the largest city in Texas. It is both mighty and great!
(student dressed like Sam Houston)
11. Part 2 of H And since we’ve given a shout out to the Cowboys, we’d be wrong if we didn’t mention these.
H can also be for our Houston Texans! Let’s give THEM an applause, if you please! (Student dressed in a Texans jersey)
12. Independence starts with I, a big and important word.
Texas has been victorious-freedom has been assured. (cowboy/cowgirl holding Texas flag)
13. J is for Jambalaya, you can have it mild or hot.
It’s a favorite food from our dear neighbors we border in Louisiana. The taste is forget-me-not!
(student dressed in chef’s attire/aprons/hats…holding pot, wooden spoon, etc) Sing Jambalaya
14. K is for Kit fox, the smallest fox of all. It lives in valley grasslands and hunts only at nightfall.
Dress like a cowboy. I have a stuffed fox you can borrow.
15. There are so many mascots in Texas to name. The Aggies, the Raiders, the Bears are a few
But L is for Longhorns! Texas’ official state large mammal. Cheering for the UT Longhorns is a win-win for you!
16. M (I have a butterfly you can hold) Now, M is for Monarch butterfly, our official state insect with black and orange wings.
Part 2 of M (dress like a cowgirl. I have a mockingbird for you to hold) Another M for our state bird, the mockingbird. Both delicate beauties that life’s cycle brings.
17. (I have an armadillo for this person to hold) N is for the Nine-banded armadillo- Texas’ brownish armored knight.
Our state’s official small mammal. His burrow is a common sight.
18. If this girl could dress like a pioneer girl, that would be great. Now, O is for the “Old three hundred”….Stephen Austin led the way!
Pioneer families came for land grants. These were good folks Stephen Austin knew would stay.
Sing: Old Texas
19. (we need a pecan branch for you to hold or a pecan pie) And P is for Pecan tree with nuts so good to eat! The official tree of our state---pecan treats are hard to beat.
20. Q is for Quannah Parker, Comanche Indian chief. Striving to lead his people while keeping his native belief.
(student dressed like Indian)
21. (dress like a cowgirl) R is for the Rio Grande River flowing wild, long, and free. Its twisting turn named Big Bend is an awesome sight to see!
22. And, S is for San Antonio, home of the Alamo. Today, with 35 bridges the “Paseo del Rio.” (cowboy/cowgirl)
23. We now have a dance from the country bordering Texas in the south, the dear Mexico.
Watch as the students share the LaRaspa dance, boy, can these students go!
Dance: LaRaspa
(girls will be provided with their dress from the Heritage Celebration. Boys wear black pants and their white shirts).
24. Texas Rangers starts with T, bringing peace to a countryside. Riding throughout the state---we are great men of courage and pride.
(Boys need to wear cowboy stuff with a sheriff’s badge. Chaps? They can wear holsters but no guns in them. Need to ride a stick horse)
D’Artagnan is the bandit.
The Texas Ranger chases the bandit around.
25. Underground starts with U that was secretly hiding black gold.
A derrick named Spindletop---stories of oil wells are told.
Located in Beaumont…not too far from here. Striking oil here was a turning point for our state! We had oil coming out of our ears!
Well…not really…but you know what I mean…
(dressed like oil workers. Blue jeans, hard hat, tool belt, nomex, carrying a tool box.)
26. Valley agriculture starts with V-northeast of the mighty Rio Grande.
Vegetables, fruit, and poinsettias too are products of this fertile Texas land.
(students holding garden tools…wearing overalls…like working in a garden)
27. And W is for windmills spinning on a tower. Some are pumping water, others making power. (student holding poster of windmill)
28. X is for “x”tra…as in we are EXTRA glad to celebrate our town.
The city of La Porte, the best city to live in Texas…hands down! Sing La Porte Fight Song and Alma Mata
29. Y is for the Yellow Rose of Texas. She lived not so far from here.
Her home was in Morgan’s point. She helped capture Santa Anna and for that we hold her dear. Sing Yellow Rose of Texas
30. (dress like a cowgirl) The Houston Zoo, a fun place to go, ends our Texas Alphabet with Z.
Only a few miles down the road from us…there are so many animals to see! (students coming out with zoo pals on faces)
31. From A-Z we’ve shared them all, a few Texas facts you can name!
Now we’ll end this time with a song you may have heard at an exciting Astros’ game! Sing: Deep in the Heart of Texas and Happy Trails
32. Y’all come back to Texas now! Ya hear?
Everyone: Yee haw!