While the weather outside was steamy, the kids at Kennedy-Powell Elementary school cooled off by throwing balls at a target to dunk teachers in a water-filled dunk tank.
“They look forward to this day every year,” Kennedy-Powell gym teacher Gail Gilstrap said. “It’s a blast for them.”
Students who participated in the dunk-tank activities were selected from the school’s Accelerated Reading program, in which students are given points depending on how much reading they do during the school year. Students who scored a select number of points during the year were entered into a drawing to throw during the event.
“It provides the students with an incentive to work hard during the school year,” librarian Debra Moore said. “It’s really a great time for them.
“We had more than 100 students who were entered into the drawing to throw. It’s become a yearly event for them, where they want to participate in it and compete against the other students for the chance to dunk their teacher.”
Students who had enough points but were not selected were placed into a “splash zone,” where water balloons and water guns being used by employees soaked them.
School staff members Tracey Trepera, Richard Botts, Clem Johnson, Melisa Ochoa and Tim Lightfoot were nominated by the students to be dunked in the tank.
“They were telling me all week I was going to go down,” said Botts, a third–grade teacher who tried to act tough by riding his motorcycle in front of the students before heading to the dunk tank. “I think they just wanted to see my hair wet.
“I think this is great for the students,” said Botts, who ended up getting dunked multiple times. “It’s getting down to the end of the year, and these kids have been working hard. I think it’s a good way for them to get pumped up for the summer.”
Emily Lin, 11, a fifth-grader, scored more than 1,300 points during the school year to become Kennedy-Powell’s top point setter in the AR program, and set a district record for points at an elementary school.
“I was really excited about today,” said Ms. Lin, who dunked school custodian Johnson. “It was fun - we don’t get to do stuff like this every day.”
“(Emily) is a great role model for the younger students who want to participate in this event every year they’re here,” Ms. Moore said.
The dunk tank activities concluded the school’s annual field day events, where students participated in various races and events. The last day of school for the Temple school district is Wednesday.
dfearson@temple-telegram.com
