The Olympics didn’t just conclude in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil the past weekend, but ceremonies also closed in Vicksburg Monday afternoon.

Each class at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School represented a country for the past two weeks, since the first day of school, and incorporated Olympic themed lessons in their physical education, art, music, library and computer classes.

“The special teachers, art, music, library, computer, and myself, we are trying to do some across the curriculum events,” physical education teacher Mindy Giambrone said. “For the past two weeks we have been doing Olympic events in P.E.”

In their physical education classes students competed with other classes for medals made by art teacher Ashley Smith. Students competed in an Olympic torch relay, a 50-yard dash, a discus throw with a Frisbee, a basketball free throw contest and an Olympic ring transfer contest with hula hoops. There were two groups with classes in first through third grade and then fourth through sixth grade competing against each other for gold, silver and bronze in all five events.

“We’ve done this in prior years, and the kids get so excited,” Giambrone said. “When they get to work as a team, to be a country and compete against the other class across the hall, they get so excited.”

She also encouraged her students to watch the Olympic games at home every night with their family. The classes discussed the events and the athletes of the games each day in class.

“It opens their eyes to so many things,” Giambrone said.

Closing ceremonies were held outside the school with classes marching in carrying the flags and Olympic torches each student made in their art class. Smith had the students use all different kinds of mediums like paint, construction paper, markers and more to create their country’s flag.

“For our younger grades we made carnival headdresses, which goes with Brazil’s culture, and we talked about the culture,” Smith said.

During the ceremony each class sang part of a folk song from their country they learned in music class.

“We really tried to expose the children, whatever country they were representing, we really tried to expose them and teach them so they could see everything that goes on within that country,” Smith said.

Students also learned about different languages, geography and the history of the Olympics through the project in their library and computer classes.

“They were encouraged to find their country on the map and look at the other countries,” Giambrone said. “They learned more about the ceremony, the rituals, how the athletes compete and the different sports. I think they’re already looking forward to the Winter Olympics.”