Students at Winthrop Avenue School in the Bellmore Public School District were recently hands-on with a variety of crafting materials in celebration of Thanksgiving and the annual holiday parade in New York City.
Fourth graders read the book “Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade” by Melissa Sweet, which follows the master puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Students selected their favorite fictional characters and brainstormed how to best convert them into a balloon. Under the supervision of Librarian Marjorie Falabella, students used plastic cups, straws and other supplies to start construction by creating a support to hold their balloons in the air. As Thanksgiving approached, students continued to complete their balloons step-by-step before their debut in a celebratory parade.