Photos courtesy of the North Bellmore School District
An idea born from the minds a few sixth graders at Newbridge Road Elementary School in the North Bellmore School District became a reality on Nov. 23, when students walked through the hallways with their customized balloon designs.
The event was their take on the popular Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Sixth graders read “Balloons Over Broadway,” a book about the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons that are synonymous with the parade. A few students then asked Principal Amanda Licci about doing something similar at their school.
Balloons Over Broadway at Newbridge soon became a reality. A video of sixth graders reading the inspirational book was created and shared with the other grades to give students some background about their upcoming task. Ms. Licci said that every child was invited to make a balloon creation at home for the parade, noting that it was a great way for families to get involved.
“The balloons reflected their personalities,” Ms. Licci said, noting that the creations celebrated holidays, favorite sports teams, movie and cartoon characters, animals and more. “It was great to see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they came to school with their balloons and marched proudly through the halls.”
Ms. Licci said that this was the inaugural Balloons Over Broadway at Newbridge and the hope is for it to become an annual event. In addition to being fun, she explained, it is also educational as it combines art and engineering, and promotes teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
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