The Brooklet Elementary School Pumpkin Parade, a 28 year old Brooklet community tradition, was held Friday, October 27, 2023, in downtown Brooklet, GA. The Brooklet community came out to celebrate fall, families, and the importance of reading.
Smiling faces in book-themed costumes from each of the school’s kindergarten through fifth-grade classes proudly pulled pumpkin characters in little wagons.
And these aren’t just any pumpkins, but ones elaborately decorated to resemble characters from books the children have read in school. Set to music and narrated by Mark Petkewich, BES STEM Lab Teacher, the parade had an elaborate, colorful carnival-like atmosphere.
One of the highlights each year is the anticipation of what book characters the school’s office staff, including Mike Yawn, Principal, Krista Branch, Assistant Principal, and Alina Odom, Media Specialist, will be dressed as when they lead off the parade through Brooklet’s main street.
The school is near the heart of downtown Brooklet, a location that local citizens helped ensure when the school’s new building was built in 1999, so the parade tradition could be kept alive.
CLICK HERE to watch the parade live stream.
The parade began with the Brooklet Elementary office staff leading the parade, with Principal Mike Yawn dressed as a Dalmatian.
Kindergarten:
- Mrs. Sherrod and Mrs. Dee’s classes read Oh Say, Say, You Say Dinosaur.
- Mrs. Janda & Mrs. Amy's Kindergarten class is doing the story Walter's Wonderful Web.
- Mrs. Meredith and Mrs. Jennifer’s Kindergarten classes present THE SECRET PIZZA PARTY: Raccoon loves pizza!
- Mrs. Pam & Mrs. Whitney’s class presents Frankenstein Doesn’t Wear Earmuffs by John Loren.
- Mrs. Christie’s Kindergarten class chose The M&M Counting Book. They chose this book because it is all things Kindergarten.
1st Grade:
- Ms. Dawn, Ms. Meredith, Mrs. Ciara and Mrs. Taylor's classes present F is for Fairytale by Greg Paprocki.
2nd Grade:
- 2nd Grade presents the Mercy Watson series. Mercy Watson is the pet pig of Mr. and Mrs. Watson who live at 54 Deckawoo Drive.
3rd Grade:
- Third grade presents the loveable book character Pig the Pug on several of his adventures.
4th Grade:
- Mrs. Banter and Ms. McCravy present There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.
- Mrs. Buchanan and Mrs. Williams' classes present a new beach version of the classic There Was an Old Lady titled There Was an Old Lady that Swallowed a Shell.
- Mrs. Copeland and Ms. Scheidt’s classes present The Old Lady, and it is back with a magical twist!
5th Grade:
- Team Jones and Miller are proud to present The Three Little Pigs! The students spent time comparing and contrasting two different versions of this classic tale.
- Team Hardin and Williford are proud to present The Little Mermaid!
- Team Sandhagen and Lee are proud to present Little Red Riding Hood.