Groundhog Day Is the Cat’s Meow at Washington Lands Elementary
Emma Delk Trending
Cheers erupted across the Washington Lands Elementary School gymnasium when Wildcat Wally, the school's mascot and stand-in for Punxsutawney Phil, did not see its shadow, meaning an early spring for the students.
The school's Groundhog Day Celebration took place on Friday for the holiday on Sunday. Students and teachers donned top hats and groundhog headbands and hats for the occasion.
As students entered the gymnasium for the celebration, they were greeted with polka music provided by Washington Lands Music teacher Eli Lambie, fifth-grade choir members and accordionist Judy Doyle.
Once all grade levels had gathered, students were paired together to dance the Pennsylvania Polka, which they learned in gym class that week.
The "Pennsylvania Polka" was one of many Groundhog Day-centered lessons students participated in during the lead-up to the celebration. Principal Julie Sturgill said teachers came up with various ways to tie their lessons into the holiday that week, from research projects on the history of Groundhog Day to argumentative essays on whether they wanted the groundhog to see their shadow.
Students also participated in themed dress-up days over the week leading up to the celebration. The dress-up week served as a donation drive for the non-profit, no-kill cat rescue organization Kitty Komrades. On the dress-up days, students brought donations to raise money for the organization, raising $332 in total.
Wildcat Wally was played by the domestic shorthair cat Simone, provided by Kitty Komrades. Before Wildcat Wally was pulled from the box to make their prediction, Washington Lands speech therapist Becky Hineman, who created the celebration, polled students to see if they'd prefer six more weeks of winter or early spring.
With a majority of students preferring an early spring, students were thrilled when Washington Lands physical education teacher Michael Grimm, dressed in a top hat and suit, proclaimed that Wildcat Wally had not seen its shadow.
Sturgill was also excited about an early spring, as she did not want more snow days this school year.
"This is something that the students really love and look forward to every year," Sturgill said. "The teachers go above and beyond coming up with lessons about the holiday, too. It's not just a 30-minute class party since we fit in many academic things as well in the weeks leading up to it."
Hineman devised the celebration for students five years ago after attending the Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Though she was disappointed in Wildcat Wally's prediction, as Hineman preferred a longer winter, the students' excitement made up for the result.
"It's hysterical how excited the students become," Hineman said. "It warms my heart because something so silly as pulling a cat out of a box to predict the weather really makes them happy."