The middle school students at HOPE Christian Schools may be single, but more important, they are scholars.
The Milwaukee school has become an online sensation by posting a video called “Scholar Ladies,” mimicking Beyonce’s hit “Single Ladies.”
Instead of singing about seeking an engagement ring, the girls boast with attitude about earning top grades, preparing for college and staying free of trouble.
“If you learned it then you should have got an A on it,” the girls sing. “Don’t be mad when you see that we got it. If you learned it then you should have got an A on it.”
“It inspires kids to see it’s cool to be smart and reach goals,” said Charmaine Taylor, a sixth-grader who is the backup dancer on the left as the video starts. Charmaine said she wants to attend college and study to become a lawyer. “I want other people to know you can do anything if you just put your mind to it,” she said.
HOPE is a K-12 private charter school that serves about 600 girls and boys.
The idea for remaking Beyonce’s song and video came when English teacher Megan Huff and her class were preparing for a schoolwide talent competition. Huff penned the lyrics and her students tried out for the parts. School administrators make cameos, too, dancing and imitating Beyonce’s signature hand wave.
Huff and her students are hoping their video will get a million page views on YouTube. So far it has 205,000, and it’s been featured on the local news and CNN.
“We secretly hope Beyonce will see it, but we are trying to keep our heads on straight and stay focused on academics even with this attention we’re getting,” Huff said.
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