EUSTIS — Cars piled up along Huff Road just as the sun was going down. Students and their families were eager to drive through the “Snowman Village” set up at Seminole Springs Elementary School.
Lights twinkled and holiday songs blared as cars pulled up to the school. Teachers stood waiting near festive displays with goodies to share through the car windows: a hot dog dinner, peppermint sticks, and packets of activities to work on over the upcoming winter break, Dec. 21 through Jan. 4, to keep the learning going strong while students are away from school.
As parents followed the path from the front of the school down through the car rider line, they encountered several stations where they stopped, greeted the teachers and administrators, and picked up a packet. One offered a snowflake activity to help students learn about angles. A card game was distributed to help strengthen math skills. There was even a kit to help students use science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to build a flashlight. The last station was a drop-off site for letters to Santa, an activity that focused on language arts.
Normally, the school would have hosted its Family Engagement Night inside the school building. But they took the festivities outside because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We like change,” said Santa, also known as Rich Cox, who greeted families at the end of the drive-through path. “It keeps things exciting and fun.”
Jesus, a third-grade student, sat in the backseat of his family’s car smiling. “This was spectacular,” he said. “My favorite part was the snow.” Teachers created a faux snowfall at one of the stops along the path.
Cheyanne, a first-grade student, said she enjoyed seeing her teachers and her principal, Michelle Work, dressed up in holiday costumes. She was excited to receive the learning packets. “She’ll probably want to start working on them as soon as she gets home,” her father said.
(See video: https://fb.watch/2jiY3TvFfa/)
