Mars elementary students pie teachers
With students on the brink of Thanksgiving break, the energy approaching the gymnasium was palpable. “Pie in the face! Pie in the face!” the students chanted.
This was the reward for Mrs. King’s afternoon kindergarten class for raising the most money: tossing a pie in the faces of several Mars Area Primary Center staff members.
Students in kindergarten and first grade had been asked to bring in donations for the school’s positive behavioral interventions and support system (PBIS), which recognizes and rewards students for positive behavior. In total, the primary center raised a little over $1,700, according to principal Jessica Semler.
The winning class of each group -- morning kindergartners, afternoon kindergartners, and first graders -- were rewarded with the chance to throw a plate of fluffy whipped cream pie at their teachers on Nov. 27, the last day before Thanksgiving break.
“Our students go above and beyond, and so do our staff, and this was a nice little way to celebrate everybody, and have a little bit of fun before the Thanksgiving break,” Semler said.
Semler made sure the students give themselves a pat on the back for their accomplishments, and for celebrating “The Mars Way:” Making good choices, Always be kind, be Ready to learn, and Staying safe.
In addition Stephanie King’s afternoon kids, Matt Richards’ morning kindergarten class and Heather Rhea’s first graders were given the same reward for donating the most out of their grades.
Semler, along with teachers Megan Hey, Matt Richards, Adrianne Vandevort, Shelley Zolle and Cami Shuck, made sure to take a before picture before lining up and getting pied.
“We have to do that before picture, because at the end of this assembly, it’s going to get a little messy. Who’s ready for some mess?” Semler asked the students, who responded in uproar.
With the six teachers seated, the kids counted down “3...2...1...Pie!” And the teachers received a face full of pie.
The six students rotated out, as the rest of their classmates had an opportunity to face their teachers with pie in hand.
Afterwards, the children shuffled out of gymnasium, as teachers cleaned up remnants of thrown pie on the ground, with everybody looking forward to the holiday.
“Now we can start break,” Semler said.
