A KES Tradition
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving at Katonah Elementary School without the Day-Before-Thanksgiving Day Parade!
This year’s line-up featured twenty-five floats, each one hand-made by Katonah Elementary School fifth graders, depicting trailblazers, innovators, and creators.
The Day-Before-Thanksgiving Parade
25 Floats
Well-known Historical Figures Honored
A teepee represented Sitting Bull, and a garden depicted Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Get Moving” campaign. Other well-known people honored by floats this year included Dr. Seuss, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin.
Students chose their float topics from the popular Who Was / Who Is collection of biographies. The parade supported reading and writing units as well as leadership, design, and public speaking skills.
“The fifth graders worked in small groups to research, design, and create their floats,” said Ms. Judy McBride, a fifth-grade teacher. “They also wrote and rehearsed introductions to each float which they enthusiastically delivered to the students and teachers watching the parade.”
First, second, and third grade winners of the Halloween raffle carried balloons in the parade and enjoyed VIP seating with the fifth graders.