By Jessica Groover
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County kindergarten students looked a little peculiar on Friday as they celebrated school being in session for more than 100 days.
At Covenant Classical School, a sign outside of Kim Cregger’s kindergarten class read, “Beware of Dogs,” and inside were about 13 children dressed as Dalmatians to celebrate 101 days of school.
Other elementary schools around the county celebrated 100 or more days of school with fun and academic activities.
“Based on the ‘101 Dalmatians’ movie, we decided to connect that with the 101st day (of school),” said Kim Hartsock, another kindergarten teacher.
Most of the 26 kindergarten students at the school had white outfits with black spots and dog ears. Some even barked and pretended their hands were dog paws to truly get into character.
Beth Bridges, parent of kindergarten student Gabby Bridges, came to help with the event and painted the children’s faces to look like dogs.
“It’s a really good way to mark the halfway point of the completion of the school year,” Bridges said.
As Dalmatians, the students had relays to put dog treats in a bowl and run back, they made dog collars with names like “Spike” and “Pearly” on them and played the game “Who’s Got Your Bone.”
The students also practiced counting to 101 with various items, similar to what kindergarten students at Pitts School Road Elementary did in their classes.
Beginning in the morning, students from each of the eight kindergarten classes at Pitts School Road rotated into various classrooms.
Many were dressed like 100-year-old people, complete with glasses, shawls, robes, curlers and canes.
“I’ve got a bad back,” 6-year-old kindergarten student Trinity Harton-Robinson, who is in Shannon Chrisco’s class, joked. “I’m 100 years old.”
Like many of her peers, Harton-Robinson had baby powder in her hair to look the part. The students wanted to look 100 years old to celebrate the 100th day of school.
Five-year-old Michael Cardona, a student in Lauren Townsend’s class, wore a black vest, pinstripe pants and a moustache his grandmother drew on his face.
In each classroom, the students completed a different activity with the number 100. In Sherry Lee’s class, students hopped 100 times and did 100 toe touches. As a way to complete the activity and learn how to count to 100, students were selected to do 10 hops at a time.
The teachers at Pitts School Road also joined in on the celebration by wearing glasses and shawls to look 100 years old. It seemed that everyone who participated at both schools enjoyed the day.
“This day will definitely be one they always remember,” said Michelle Ward, development director at Covenant. “If I did that, I would never forget it.”
• Contact reporter Jessica Groover: 704-789-9152.