GYMKANA EASTER CELEBRATIONS

With Spring firmly in motion and Holy Week celebrations a week away, we began to celebrate early here at CEIP Salvador Allende through a GYMKANA held on Tuesday, April 9th, 2019. Led by AMPA or the Association of Mothers, Fathers and Students, in collaboration with BILITRAMS, they created a real Easter delight for our first cycle students (1st and 2nd grade), as well as inviting those same age groups from CEIP Rectora Adelaida de la Calle, CEIP Tierno Galván and CEIP Los Morales. With beautiful decorations displaying the Easter Bunny and thoughtful prizes like designing their own easter egg, glittery bunny pins, masks and much more, the students participated in an active and engaging morning celebrating all things Easter.

We had four fun groups for each school and we badged the kids with the symbol of their assigned group such as The Bunnies, The Chickens, The Chocolates and The Eggs. Each child wore that badge with a pride and giddyness that was great to see. In order for the children to meet one another and mingle amongst school groups, we divided them all into eight groups of twelve, making sure every three children were represented from the schools present. It was wonderful to see the groups, although almost strangers, actively working together at each station to complete the challenge in order to win their prizes.

From challenges like putting together a tangram of a bunny, a 5-hole Easter obstacle course that students must go through hopping like rabbit, rabbit masks race, a bunny scavenger hunt and much more, you could see each group of children thoroughly enjoying themselves and ready for the next challenge, the next prize. At my station the challenge was to determine the answer to three Easter Riddles, the most challenging being the following;

I´m brown.

I´m round.

Put your eggs in here.

NOT on the ground.

If you guessed basket, you would be correct! With some repetition and again outstanding team work, the children guessed all the riddles and were rewarded glittery bunny pins. I was happy to be a part of this GYMKANA, as it allowed me to help the children practice their English in a fun and engaging way learning about such a globally recognized holiday as Easter. Although we had some trouble organizing station rotation and teams in our first round of students, by the second time, we had it down! Ending on a high note after all teams completed their challenges, AMPA, students and teachers gathered to dance to energizing Hippity Hop Easter Bunny.

This Easter activity goes to show just how important collaboration between parents, teachers and schools ultimately affect students development in engagement in such a positive, fun way. I want to thanks AMPA, BILITRAMS, and of course, my lovely school and students at CEIP Salvador Allende for allowing me to be part of this.

• Jeydelyn Martinez

Auxiliar de Conversación, CEIP Salvador Allende