Thursday is the last day of school in Great Bend, but kiddos and teachers have been celebrating all week.
It started on Monday when Park Elementary recognized perfect and near-perfect attendance. Throughout the week, Jefferson, Lincoln, Riley and Eisenhower Elementary would hold similar celebrations.
Tuesday’s assembly at Lincoln had the feel of a beach party and the callisthenics of a P.E. class. After the attendance awards, upbeat tunes were amplified and students and teachers alike started dancing and batting beach balls around.
This was the fifth year that a group of local donors funded a bike giveaway program to promote attendance. Each elementary school received four bicycles, and students with the best attendance were entered in a drawing for the bikes.
The schools also had their own celebrations and awards for good attendance. At Lincoln Elementary, students who missed no more than four days of school were awarded T-shirts. The seven students with no absences or tardies received more shirts and a chance in the bike drawing. The students also cheered when their favorite teachers and staff members received kudos.
Riley Elementary also had its attendance celebration on Tuesday. In addition to the bikes, there were drawings for other prizes — everything from kits for making “slime” to an ice cream party for an entire classroom. First grader Lidia Guerra won a pie pan full of whipped cream, and the privilege of shoving that pie into the face of Principal JoAnn Blevins.
“You guys have worked really hard this school year,” Blevins said, noting teachers have also worked hard. There was a separate prize table for the staff.