Clever Lids For Kids

BY GRACE DOVE BACK MOUNTAIN CORRESPONDENT
Thursday, January 27, 2000     Page: 9

Clever lids for kids
    DALLAS TWP. – It was hat’s off – or on – to National Hat Day as the
second-grade classes at Wycallis Elementary School celebrated the unusual
holiday last week with a parade, songs and activities centered on headgear.
Many students made their own hats, which they wore to lunch and all afternoon
as they sang “My Hat, It Has Three Corners” and listened to teacher Beth
Faerber’s discussion of different types of hats, from football helmets to
graduation mortarboards. Faerber even had a century-old woman’s hat, decorated
with a plume, and its matching foot-long hat pin. The “Flip-Flap Hat Book,”
which they read and colored, was designed by the teachers. The children could
change the 26 hats – one for every letter of the alphabet – on the head of a
monkey by flipping the pages back and forth. They also played hat-related
games and learned poems about hats. Andrew McCabe made his NHL Cool Shot
Hockey hat, which sported a real rink, miniature players and a goal net. “I
saw the (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) Penguins play, but my favorite team is the
Philadelphia Flyers,” he said. Jackie Stasik and Katelyn Reinert sported
beautiful pink straw bonnets trimmed with flowers. Katelyn said she showed her
mother where to glue her hot pink hat’s flowers, while Jackie’s mother and
sister, Rebecca, helped her with hers. Kimberly Coscia sported a cardboard top
hat trimmed with strings of glittery decorations left over from New Year’s.
“My dad made it. He said it’s a nice way to remember Wycallis School and the
year 2000.” Samantha Hinson said she got the idea for her whimsical bird’s
nest hat from the “Flip-Flap Hat Book” that she read and colored in class. A
yellow chick peers from a broken egg shell in a real twig nest atop the white
stocking cap. Kyle Weaver showed his enthusiasm for the Pokemon toys by
decorating a gray Techneglas baseball hat with the red and white balls that
the famous toys come in. “My favorite is Charizard, but I don’t have one. But
I have a Golden Card,” which he said is very important. Kati Gallagher wore
her grandfather’s Army hat, which her grandmother let her borrow for the day.
“He died and I never got to meet him. My grandma keeps his hat in a box.”
Kids also chose Mickey Mouse, Uncle Sam, Pilgrim, hoe down and pointed party
hats. And if they forgot to bring their headwear, they could borrow a hat from
a collection the teachers had on hand. “It’s been a tradition in the second
grade for the past 10 years,” said teacher Marsha Paczewski. “The children
really look forward to it.” “They get to show off their hats to the
first-graders at lunch time, so the first-graders look forward to second grade
and Hat Day,” said teacher Suzanne Herstek. FOR THE BACK MOUNTAIN LEADER/JOHN
E. KASKO Andrew McCabe set up a miniature hockey rink on his hat. Kyle
Weaver’s hat sported Pokemon balls. A baby bird peers from the nest atop
Samantha Hinson’s hat. Alexandria Smith, Katelyn Reinert and Kimberly Coscia
listen to a presentation on hats by teacher Beth Faerber.