Balloon Parade
A third Grade Tradition
Every November, Increase Miller's third graders read "Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of the Macy's Parade" by Melissa Sweet. The book kicks off the students' process of conceptualizing and designing their very own balloon characters to march in a parade around the outside of IMES.
"The week before Thanksgiving break, students come to the library to build (and sometimes re-build-- a few times!) floats," said Librarian Juli Hoffman. "Students love the creative process of designing and seeing their ideas come to life! They learn quickly that balloons are a fickle medium, and we even watch a blooper reel from the real Macy's parade to see how accidents can even happen to the professionals. They're so proud to march around the school and share the joy of their creations with the rest of the grade levels!"
