A day of merriment and meaning for Millersburg Elementary
For years now, Millersburg Elementary students have looked forward to the last day of school, not just because it represented the portal to a summer of relaxing, frolicking and absolutely no textbooks, but because it meant getting outside and running rampant in a day of activities, games and contests, along with some serious water fun.Not only did games like Dry, dry... wet!, Find your shoe, water sponge dodgeball, and numerous relay events take place on Friday, May 28, but so, too, did something a little more meaningful.
For the first time ever, the school created an avenue for the students to take part in an American Cancer Society Relay for Life Holmes County event, in which the students learned a little bit about how devastating cancer can be and how many times it affects friends, classmates, teachers and families at school.
Marcia Carpenter and Barb Knapp went to great lengths to set up activities that would bring greater meaning to what cancer is. And because long-time Millersburg teacher Cheryl Nelson was diagnosed with breast cancer this year, the students had an opportunity to witness firsthand the effects of the disease.
One of the stations throughout the day-long festivities was having students walk around the school non-stop, with classes taking turns. They also raised money, having students bring in quarters to donate to make a paper medallion in honor of someone who had been diagnosed with cancer or who had succumbed to it. The school made about $70, one quarter at a time, which will go toward Holmes County’s Relay for Life efforts.
“This day is a lot of fun, but we wanted to help bring some awareness and education to the kids in terms of learning more about exactly what Relay for Life is,” said Carpenter. “We found out that so many of the kids have had someone in their lives who has been afflicted with cancer. We were thrilled with the number of medals we made, and we were amazed at how many of them were purchased in honor of Cheryl.”
Nelson, who has been taking treatments, made her own impact by showing up for the first time in weeks for the final day of activities. “It was touching to see her here, and it really brought everyone’s spirits up to have her back,” said Carpenter. “It’s been a tough year for us here at Millersburg, and we’ve had some real heartache, so this was a very inspirational day for us.”
As the walkers walked for cancer victims, the other classes carried on the hijinks and hilarity in the games, where squeals of laughter drowned out the somberness of the reason the students were walking. The day was a testament to how life goes on, as well as a wonderful opportunity to teach the students about how they can help others.