BATON ROUGE — Second-graders at Villa del Rey Creative Sciences and Arts Magnet School brought Ancient Greece to life through their own Olympic Games on Thursday.

Students participated in an opening ceremony and competed in three events inspired by the ancient Olympic Games.

The event marked the culmination of weeks of learning through a unit on "The Birthplace of Democracy: Ancient Greece." Students wore togas and laurel crowns for the occasion.

"Students have studied Ancient Greek civilization, mythology, the Olympic Games, Sparta and Athens, democracy and the contributions of the ancient Greeks," Principal Kathie Johnson said. "Now, they will put that knowledge into action through movement, creativity, teamwork and friendly competition."

Johnson said the event offered a hands-on example of how Villa del Rey connects rigorous academic content with memorable learning experiences.

Students also had opportunities to explain what they learned about Ancient Greece and how their activities connected to their classroom studies.