The weather outside might be cold and snowy, but inside the gymnasium at Dowds Elementary in Shelby, it looked like a day at the beach.
Students and staff of all grades celebrated their annual “Beach Day” on Thursday, where everyone dressed up in tropical attire and students enjoyed their lunch picnic-style on their beach towels.
“The students like that they can sit wherever they want in the lunch room on their beach towels, and wear their sunglasses inside, things like that,” said music teacher Clara Pearch. “Fingers crossed spring is almost here.”
Fourth-grade friends Amber Craig, Sydney Swiger and Ryleigh Chase sat together on their colorful beach towels to enjoy their lunches, explaining Beach Day was the only day of the year students don’t have to sit at lunch tables and are allowed to eat with their friends from different classes.
“It’s the only day almost everyone wears flip flops, and it’s the only day kids wear short sleeves and shorts in the middle of winter,” said Craig.
“It’s also the only day you can take your shoes off in school,” added Swiger.
Neither students nor staff knew of the origins of Beach Day at Dowds, only that it was a tradition that had been happening for years. As fourth graders, Craig, Swiger and Chase are veterans of Beach Day, but they noted it was the first holiday for Dowds Principal Kristin Kaple-Jones.
“It was our principal’s first Beach Day and she wore khaki pants with a hula skirt, and a bunch of leis and a big hat,” said Chase with a giggle.
A rousing cheer echoed through the lunchroom when music teacher Clara Pearch announced the students would be eating ice cream as a treat. The three girls said they enjoy Beach Day, but they were looking forward to spring when there would be warmth and no snow.
“Beach Day is fun except for it’s freezing cold outside!” said Swiger.
“Beach Day is fun except for it’s freezing cold outside!” said student Sydney Swiger.
