DALLAS TWP. — Leonardo da Vinci was good at so many things, said Wycallis Elementary student Rashid Ofsiam.

“He (da Vinci) is my role model,” Ofsiam said. “He was a painter, scientist and inventor. He was good at so many things.”

Ofsiam researched da Vinci for a fifth-grade reading assignment. Then, he portrayed the over four century-year-old man for the school’s annual Wax Museum event on Oct. 27.

The project required 23 fifth-graders to read biographies about a historical person or a celebrity, said Caitlin Cooper, a reading specialist at Wycallis Elementary School.

“The students had to take notes on their person and create a presentation from the first-person perspective,” Cooper said. “They cannot break character but if asked a question, they can answer.”

Students chose a variety of people that included the likes of Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Malala Yousafzai, Thomas Jefferson, Neil Armstrong, Anne Frank, Sacajawea and Michelle Obama.

Ofsiam really tried to bring da Vinci to life for his classmates and parents who visited the Wax Museum.

He wore a long gray beard, a replica of da Vinci’s signature black hat, and held a pallet of paints.

Visitors pressed a colored sticker, which was stuck on each of the children, to bring the “characters to life.”

When activated, Ofsiam spoke with an Italian accent and told how da Vinci lived during the Italian Renaissance.

“He has the talent to do many accents,” Roula Ofsiam said of her son.

Fifth-grader Megan Rothschild portrayed Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl who was outspoken about the right to an education for girls. A Taliban gunman shot Yousafzai in the head in 2012. She survived and received the Nobel Peace Prize.

“I picked her because she is a strong woman,” Rothschild said.

Fifth-grader Alexander Vasquez presented Neil Armstrong.

“He is very interesting,” Vasquez said. “I didn’t know that he went on his first plane ride at age 6.”

Luke Robinson was dressed in a baseball uniform and held a baseball bat as he portrayed Jackie Robinson.

“I played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was the first to break the color barrier, which means black and white players could play together,” Robinson said in character. “They retired my number, 42, when I retired.”

Wycallis Elementary School fifth-grader Carly Yoder plays Sacajawea at the Wax Museum while her dad Les watches, holding Carly’s cousin Acacia, three months old; sister Calyn and cousin Delilah, both 4 years old.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TDP110517Wax-Museum5.jpg.optimal.jpgWycallis Elementary School fifth-grader Carly Yoder plays Sacajawea at the Wax Museum while her dad Les watches, holding Carly’s cousin Acacia, three months old; sister Calyn and cousin Delilah, both 4 years old. Aimee Dilger | Dallas Post

Wycallis Elementary School student Skylar Evan acts out Anne Frank at the Wax Museum event at Wycallis Elementary School.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TDP110517Wax-Museum1.jpg.optimal.jpgWycallis Elementary School student Skylar Evan acts out Anne Frank at the Wax Museum event at Wycallis Elementary School. Aimee Dilger | Dallas Post

Rashid Ofsiam plays a wax Leonardo da Vinci with an Italian accent during the Wycallis Elementary School Wax Museum project.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TDP110517Wax-Museum2.jpg.optimal.jpgRashid Ofsiam plays a wax Leonardo da Vinci with an Italian accent during the Wycallis Elementary School Wax Museum project. Aimee Dilger | Dallas Post

Rinku Patel pushes the ‘button’ on Kavin Patel to activate his portrayal of Thomas Jefferson at Wycallis Elementary School’s annual Wax Museum event held Oct. 27.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TDP110517Wax-Museum3.jpg.optimal.jpgRinku Patel pushes the ‘button’ on Kavin Patel to activate his portrayal of Thomas Jefferson at Wycallis Elementary School’s annual Wax Museum event held Oct. 27. Aimee Dilger | Dallas Post

Savannah Simon, a fifth-grade student at Wycallis Elementary School, portrays Johnny Appleseed while Mike Brinola and Inez Stefanko watch.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TDP110517Wax-Museum4.jpg.optimal.jpgSavannah Simon, a fifth-grade student at Wycallis Elementary School, portrays Johnny Appleseed while Mike Brinola and Inez Stefanko watch. Aimee Dilger | Dallas Post
Students portray historical figures at Wax Museum

By Eileen Godin

egodin@timesleader.com

Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.