Showing up and acting right is paying off even more than usual at Iduma Elementary School these days.
Students who ended the last few weeks with strong attendance and no behavior issues participated Friday in a Holiday Art Extravaganza with special guests from Shoemaker High School.
The day before the Thanksgiving break, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and first-grade students received an hour of making crafts and coloring.
Prior to the Christmas break, second through fifth grade students will have the same chance.
Iduma Assistant Principal Nancy Van Riper-Howley said the younger students obviously loved the fun time with the big kids.
“If kids came to school on time and had good behavior they could come. It was really to get our kids to come to school and have something fun to look forward to,” she said.
“We improved our attendance significantly the past 10 days and they have something fun to do before the break.”
Getting to see high school students invest in the younger ones was especially heartening, the assistant principal said.
“It’s phenomenal to get our Shoe kids here. You don’t get any better than big kids helping little kids. It shows us the end product of what we started with. It’s nice to see them on the end of their journey doing great things.”
A combination of Shoemaker senior officers, Excel Club members and varied student volunteers took part in three separate timeframes at Iduma Elementary School, which is down the street from the high school.
Tyller Harris, Shoemaker senior class president, said the older kids enjoyed the interaction, too.
“We have been helping kids do arts and crafts for Christmas. Some made a tree or a reindeer or a snowman. They have smiles on their faces. They think we’re so big. They all really enjoyed it,” he said.
“The main part for the senior class is to get out and be involved. We’re here for the community and not just for our school.”
Photo Gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720330469421