Article Photos

Students at Third Ward Elementary School in Elkins were treated to several activities Thursday afternoon to celebrate the school's Fall Harvest Festival. Students dressed in various costumes and learned about snakes, bicycle safety and personal hygiene, among other things.

Principal Barry Band said the school has hosted the festival for several years. He said the activities are both educational and fun.

"I believe very strongly that the children need to be able to dress up in costumes," Band said. "We made sure the children are not wearing face masks, so we know who they are. We have a party committee to make sure the food they are going to eat is healthy and nutritious. We have two different activities in the afternoon and really we are sneaking learning in on them. They think it's a party, but we're also learning."

Teacher Patty Gow's students listened to a story read by a parent volunteer, an activity she says is very beneficial to the students learning.

"Often, as teachers, we are so busy working we often don't have time for read aloud," Gow said. "This is really special, to be able to have time to read to the children. Read aloud is very important and we just don't get enough time to do it."

Jim Fregonara of the Division of Natural Resources provided fifth-grade students with a hands-on snake demonstration. Extended studies teacher Chasity Sharp said her students really enjoyed the presentation.

"He taught the students about snakes in West Virginia," Sharp said. "They are learning about the snakes in their state, so when they are out in the wilderness and they see a snake they will have a better ability to identify if they are poisonous or not."

Thanks to bright sunny weather, several activities were also conducted outside including Fun with Mr. Trulik, Ingrid Backus and Erin Tallman, which featured a large parachute. Other organizations sponsoring activities included Davis Memorial Hospital and Davis & Elkins College.