Student Intern
The delicious smell of grilling hot dogs filled the air as the third annual Celebration of Learning was held on June 10, at Hilltop School in Caribou. The event gave the young students an opportunity to show their visiting parents what they have learned over the school year.
Aroostook Republican photos/Deanna Jordan
Students sit around their classroom while enjoying a barbecue lunch with their parents and teachers. Due to rain and cloudy skies, they were unable to have an outdoor picnic lunch, so instead remained inside their classrooms.
Alexis Drinkall, daughter of Glenn and Kristina Drinkall, poses for a quick photo after having lunch with her mother in Mrs. Martin’s second-grade classroom on June 10. Drinkall showed off her skills in spelling and mathematics during her class’ presentation, which was a game called “Who Has, I Have.” During the game students went back and forth with each other asking who had the spelling for a word, or who had the answer to a math problem. The student with the answer read it off of a card, then posed a new question for another student.
Tim Poitras looks on as his son Brennan reads to him from his journals and portfolio in Mrs. Young’s first-grade class during Hilltop’s annual Celebration of Learning.
Each class level, kindergarten through second grade, had a specific time slot during which they presented work to their guests. Presentations included special projects they worked on especially for this event, as well as journals and writings they did throughout the school year.
In many of the classes the students read to their parents from journals they kept all year, or showed them work from their portfolios, and showed off their artistic ability in the posters on display throughout the halls of the school. Some classes presented a Readers Theatre, where the students read and recited rhymes and poems to their guest audience.
Jane Gallagher, mother of Marty Belanger’s first-grader, Grace, saw one of the performances and said that it was “very interesting to see and they all did a good job.” While flipping through her daughter’s portfolio she said “it’s amazing to see the progress they’ve made.”
Cheryl Martin’s second-grade class showed off their knowledge by playing a game called “Who Has, I Have,” while their proud guests looked on. The students went back and forth with each other, answering questions that helped them practice their reading, spelling and math skills. The exercise was a big hit with their guests, who responded with a loud round of applause for the students.
The day ended with a special barbecue lunch of grilled hot dogs, cucumber slices, chips, milk and watermelon, served to both students and their guests. Usually the lunch would be served outside on the schoolgrounds but due to cloudy skies and an early morning rain, they were forced to keep the picnic inside the classrooms.
This special Family Barbecue is an annual event, but according to Principal Jane Killcollins, this is the first year its been held on the same day as the Celebration of Learning. Killcollins said they planned it this way to make it easier on parents who have to take time off from work to enjoy the events. In past years they’ve been forced to choose one event over the other, whereas this year they were able to attend both the presentations and the family barbecue.
Killcollins works with the Hilltop PTA to plan the day’s schedule, as well as the ladies in the cafeteria who she describes as being “extremely helpful, flexible and just wonderful.” The vocational center provides the kitchen staff with grills for cooking the hot dogs.
“We all pitch in,” Killcollins said.
Parents and teachers alike agreed that the day was a great way to end the school year. The students were already wound up, counting down the days until the last day of school on June 12, and showing off their work to their parents only added to their excitement.
First-grade teacher, Mrs. Belanger said, “the kids had a great time. It makes them proud to show off their stuff.”
After lunch was over and the parents began to leave, the kids requested a break and hurried outside to the playground to play catch, four-square, draw on the ground with chalk, and burn off all that extra energy after their incredibly busy day.
