Annual Savoy School Picnic Draws 100 for Day of FunBy Kathy Keeser
Special to iBerkshires
04:43AM / Thursday, June 18, 2009
Photos by Kathy Keeser
Making a splash. For more photos, click here.
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The annual Savoy Elementary School picnic may have started out rainy but warmed up to be a great day for the 100 or so kids, staff and parents who gathered at Windsor Lake last Friday.
Parents and staff members began by setting up in misty, rainy weather. When the bus arrived from the school with all the kids, the cool damp weather didn't deter them as most dashed off, changed into their suits and jumped into the lake, better known as Fish Pond.
Many were shivering as they returned to the pavilion area to play games or eat, but the weather slowed turned into a nice partly, sunny day.
All 58 students from the tiny school, the 11 staff members and about 30 parents and community members attended the annual event.
Also there was new Principal Anne Mahoney, who will begin on July 1. The annual picnic is organized and sponsored by the Parent-Teacher Group, along with lots of help from the school staff. H.A. George donated the grill and fuel for cooking the hamburgers and hot dogs.
The day included games, activities, swimming, food and lots interaction amongst the students, teachers, parents and community members. Special guests were two North Adams SteepleCats players who talked with the children and families and gave out free tickets to a game and season schedules.
This year, the picnic was sponsored by Target: Hunger, a project of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts to reduce hunger and increase food security. Target: Hunger purchased a lot of the food and drinks and organizer Kim McMann was on hand to provide information on healthy, nutritional activities and how to sign up for federal food programs. Women Infants and Children provided outreach and information to the families about WIC benefits for children up to age 5.
 Forty children and adults were winners in the debut of Target: Hunger' new food game "Target: RING" (Right In Nutritional Goals), which enabled children and adults to show off their "smarts" about healthy, safe eating.
Mike Belcher, special education instructor for kindergarten and Grade 1, said, "the fact that there were 36 children who knew all the answers to the questions goes to show how well Lynn Richardson, our health teacher, has done in teaching everything about nutrition and healthy lifestyles."
"She makes it fun for the students to learn and really engages them in the process."
To end the day, retiring Principal Marge Senecal and Mahoney drew the name of the family winner in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program information raffle.
Susan and Jamie Reinhardt and their two children won the big prize, two bags of groceries. |
