Newlonsburg reconfigures year-end celebration for fifth graders

Fifth graders at Newlonsburg Elementary in Murrysville typically get a warm send-off as they leave for summer vacation and prepare to enter the middle school.

“On the last day of school, we do sort of an indoor parade,” Principal Tina Gillen said. “Students and staff line the hallways, and fifth graders, along with anyone who is retiring that year, walk the halls while students and staff clap and celebrate them.”

With this year’s “clap-out” made impossible by covid-19 safety measures, Newlonsburg staff have arranged a June 3 “honk-out” parade for fifth graders and their families.

“We have all of our staff members coming with signs and balloons and we’ll be able to create a parade pathway between Newlonsburg and the middle school,” Gillen said. “Our PTO has contributed balloons and a DJ for the kids.”

Newlonsburg fifth graders and their families are invited to participate in the parade, which will be June 3 at 5:30 p.m. There will be a designated path for cars to follow, past Newlonsburg and ultimately past the middle school, where fifth-grade teachers Allison Smith and Kristin Lemke will have a surprise for students.

Participants are asked to RSVP to asmith@frsdk12.org or klemke@frsdk12.org by May 27, so organizers will have an accurate count for planning purposes.

“It’s just a simple tradition,” Gillen said. “Our building is so small and because we only have two of each grade level, our fifth graders have had a lot of personal connections with our teachers.”