Photos by Berkeley Heights Public Schools
Students Participate in Thanksgiving Tradition
Berkeley Heights Public Schools
Students at William Woodruff School enjoyed an annual tradition in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The second grade “Woodruff’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” was started at Woodruff in November of 2019. The activity begins with a read aloud of the book, ‘Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of The Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade’. The students learn about Tony Sarg and the history and evolution of his role in designing puppets – then balloons – in the very first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Students then take a virtual tour of the workshop where the Macy’s Parade balloons, floats, and balloonicles are created and assembled. They then explore the balloon line-up for the current year’s Macy’s parade.
Then the real fun begins! Students design their own double-sided “balloon”. “Balloons” are made from paper and are then stuffed with crumbled up newspaper so that they appear to be inflated.
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving the kindergarten and first grade classes line the sides of the hallways and the second graders parade past them; proudly displaying their balloons above their heads. The parade spectators cheer and clap while marching band music plays over the school loudspeaker. The activity continues to be a favorite amongst the second-grade students!
