Bringing excitement, creativity and holiday spirit to the entire school community, Summit Academy – Columbus held a Mini Mock Macy’s Day Parade on November 19.
Now in its second year, the festive affair engaged the school’s K-6 students in an inspired and collaborative event enjoyed by all. While K-3 students decorated oversized balloons, fourth and fifth graders designed and built floats. Meanwhile, the sixth-grade students created jumbo balloons and a large parade banner. The parade featured about 30 floats in all.
The parade was led by student JJ Walls, dressed in a full-turkey costume
. Santa Claus, meanwhile, marched at the end of the procession line, mirroring the tradition of the real Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, says Principal Cheryl Elliott.
“The parade wound through the school hallways as high school students and parents lined the route to cheer on the participants,” Elliott says.
Leading up to the event, teachers incorporated lessons on the history of the parade. They shared with students the engineering concepts behind large balloons and the teamwork needed to design and guide floats. The lessons blended art, writing, collaboration and the school’s core values, explains Elliott.
“It helped students understand how their ideas on paper connect to real-world projects and gave them a sense of ownership and excitement as they prepared for our school-wide parade, says teacher Jaime McElhiney, who introduced the parade concept last year.
“Students were enthusiastic and proud, with many sharing that it felt like they were part of the ‘real’ Macy’s parade,” Elliott says. “The joyful event continues to grow as a beloved school tradition that brings creativity and community together.”