Picnic proves popular at McKinley

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Eight students at McKinley Elementary got to skip the hullabaloo of the lunchroom Wednesday and ate instead in the company of their principal at a table covered in checkered cloth, bedecked with vases of daisies and a plate of colorful cookies.

Had it not been raining, students said, the festive picnic would have been outdoors.

Each month, Principal Lori Maxwell hosts a “picnic with the principal” for students selected from their peers as exemplars of good behavior.

Classroom teachers make the selections, one student from each class per month, Maxwell said.

Students are not chosen twice, so the honor can be passed around, but three of the eight at Wednesday’s luncheon had enjoyed the privilege last year, they said. 

“It’s because we’re good students,” volunteered Danae Cartright.

The picnics have been taking place each month for the past eight to 10 years, Maxwell said, before she joined the school. McKinley is the only USD 257 school to host the special gatherings.

On Wednesday, students shared corn dogs, tri-taters, coleslaw and applesauce — the standard cafeteria lunch tray. Extra was a plate of bright orange cookies provided by Maxwell as a treat.

“It’s very nice to take some of the students to have lunch with the principal,” Danae said. With the smaller, intimate atmosphere of a shared table, “you get to know other people better,” she said. 

Some of the students had never met, Maxwell pointed out, because different class levels dine at different times.

Like any proper luncheon, the students shared quiet conversation — at this meal about holiday plans and their favorite Thanksgiving foods. Talk of their favorite activities led Breanna Northcutt to explain, “After a weekend of playing sports, it gets exhausting.”

The students also received a certificate indicating their participation in the meal. Tyler Boeken said that attending one of the meals is   something students strive for. “It’s special,” he noted.

After lunch, students played a game similar to duck, duck, goose that Maxwell taught them. 

Enjoying their picnic with the principal were: Kindergartners Austin Hatton and Emma McCormack; first grader Braxton Curry; second graders Tyler Boeken, Danae Cartright and Logan Preston; and third graders Breanna Northcutt and Elizabeth Scott.

11/26/10