Classic Fall Day for
Southdown Harvest Festival
A classic fall day set the stage for a memorable harvest festival at Southdown Primary School. From a magic pumpkin patch and scarecrow building to the story of Stone Soup, singing, a truck ride around the grounds and races around an obstacle course, students had an enjoyable time.
Kindergarteners "grew" pumpkins for themselves and fellow students when they sprinkled "magic" seeds in a patch that produced hundreds of bright orange pumpkins on the special day.
Physical education teachers Theresa E. Matthews and Chris Taylor and PTA volunteers led students through a scarecrow building exercise as the youngsters put their creativity to use with each class producing a head.
Librarian Ellen Blanchard performed the almost obligatory reading of the classic story, Stone Soup, bringing it to life, especially for kindergarteners who sampled warm soup cooked up in the school kitchen.
Teacher aide George Murphy, with guitar in hand, and music teacher Susan Graber led students in song as groups of youngsters climbed aboard a large building and grounds department truck for a ride around Southdown's beautiful grounds.
"The harvest festival is an event where the children celebrate the season by rotating through interactive learning centers," Principal Michelle Marino explained.
For example, Mrs. Blanchard's reading was really an interactive affair. "The children listen as Mrs. Blanchard tells the story of Stone Soup and then recreate the story using props and parts," Mrs. Marino said. "The same is true for the story of The Enormous Potato, Squash Pie and The Pumpkin Blanket - all well-loved children's books with the common theme of cooperation."
The pumpkin patch was a popular place. The kindergarteners spread seeds a day earlier and when the buses rolled in the following morning, a huge patch had "sprung" up. Youngsters carefully selected what they felt was the perfect pumpkin and then creatively decorated it with colorful markers.
The scarecrow stuffing station offered an opportunity for the children to practice their coordination and athletic ability as they jumped over bales of hay and worked collaboratively to stuff the clothing of a class scarecrow. To capture the moment, each class posed with their newest scarecrow classmate for photographs.
The hay ride around the campus was just good old fashioned fun. Students sang along with Mr. Murphy and Mrs. Graber as "Farmer Chuck" drove the big blue truck.
"The harvest festival has become a Southdown tradition that the children, parents and staff look forward to each year," Mrs. Marino said. "It not only provides an afternoon of fun but a lifetime of happy memories at Southdown."