43
Guest hops in to visit pupils
Photo
Lily Raynish, a second-grader at Lloyd Elementary in Austintown, high-fives the Easter Bunny on Thursday as he visited each of the school’s classrooms. The visit is an annual event organized by the Lloyd Elementary Parent Teacher Association. Below, James Jones, a second-grader, shows off an Easter egg that he decorated during class Thursday. Lloyd students spent the day doing Easter crafts and meeting the Easter Bunny.
By Elise Franco
Austintown
A visit by the Easter Bunny had Lloyd Elementary students hopping with excitement.
The bunny stopped at the school Thursday to visit all students in kindergarten through third grade.
Ann Marie Snitzer, second-grade teacher, said the Lloyd Elementary Parent Teacher Association brings the Easter Bunny in for a visit each year, and it’s something the kids look forward to.
“We do it to have the kids be part of the celebration of the Easter holiday,” she said. “It’s a tradition here.”
Sophia DiRenzo and Michael Sciortino, both 8, said they were excited for the bunny’s visit.
“I like getting candy from him,” Sophia said. “And we are putting stickers on Easter eggs today. ... I like to do crafts.”
Michael said he’s met the Easter Bunny before. “I like him because he’s nice,” he said.
As the second-graders were taking photos and swapping hugs with their furry white friend, first-graders were engrossed in an Easter activity of their own.
Parents hid more than 900 plastic eggs filled with stickers, erasers, necklaces and small toys throughout the playground for the kids to hunt.
Sue Bonanno, a first-grade teacher, said the eggs were filled with non-food items to help promote the Austintown school district’s healthy-eating program.
Bonanno said the Easter egg hunt was twofold: The students would have fun, but they also would learn about following directions and working with others.
“We wanted to reinforce taking direction and team-building exercises,” she said. “Once they find 10 eggs of their own, they’re asked to help someone who hasn’t found 10 yet.”
Bonanno said some of the students had never participated in an Easter egg hunt before.
“It’s a really good experience for them,” she said. “And they’re having fun in the process.”