Zeeland Christian back-to-school video draws on 'Hamilton" for inspiration

ZEELAND — A local district continued its tradition of fun back-to-school videos this year, taking inspiration from a Broadway favorite before students return Aug. 26.

Zeeland Christian School published its seventh annual back-to-school video Tuesday, Aug. 20, putting a new spin on "My Shot" from award-winning “Hamilton."

The video features staff and students singing and dancing along to a parody version of the song, called “Wanna Be Taught." As of 10 a.m. Friday, the video already had over 27,000 views on Facebook.

ZCS Executive Director of Advancement Peter Jenkins, the “visionary behind the video,” according to a press release, said using “My Shot” has been in the works for years.

“It has been a dream of mine for a few years to do a video with this song from Hamilton,” Jenkins wrote. “The energy of 'My Shot' aligns so well with Zeeland Christian, and key moments in the song were easily adapted to promote the opportunities at our school. It’s thrilling to see this dream come to life in such a meaningful way for our community.”

Replacing the line “I am not throwing away my shot” with “Only one school where I wanna be taught,” the song delves into various programs at ZCS, including Mandarin and Spanish immersion and highlighting the school’s Christian faith and mission.

Some staff members wore costumes inspired by the show, while students wore t-shirts inspired by the show’s logo and featuring the school motto, “Burn Bright.”

“Our goal with this video was to capture the enthusiasm and energy that comes from learning at ZCS,” wrote Tiffany Kraker, director of marketing and communications at ZCS.

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For elementary principal Betsy Koop, having students involved was a special way to kick off the new year.

“I love how our back-to-school videos spark excitement in our students,” she wrote. “Students involved in creating the video have a look of pure joy as they learn the dance and song. Seeing them realize they are helping to launch the new school year in a unique way is truly special for me.”

Learn more at zcs.org . To view the video, visit Zeeland Christian School on Facebook .

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com .

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Zeeland Christian back-to-school video draws on 'Hamilton" for inspiration