ATHENS, Alabama — Students at Cowart SPARK Academy in Athens took to the halls Tuesday, and third-grade teacher Deonna Goodloe said it was for a very educational purpose! "Today we are having our Mardi Gras celebration, along with celebrating the lives of some famous African-American heroes," she said. The festivities have even grown from previous years. "We have all three of the third-grade classes participating in the parade this year, along with the Athens High School Jazz Band," she said.
Goodloe said since they both fall in February, this seemed like the perfect time to mesh the two. "[We] honor one celebration while honoring the other, making sure that we stick with helping to keep alive those heroes that impacted all of our lives," she said.
The students did quite a bit of research in preparation for this celebration. "They've typed their research and they've gathered photographs to go along with the research so that they could glue it on their umbrellas in preparation for our celebration," said Goodloe.
Overall, she said a day like today can be a little challenging, but the kids rise to the occasion, "... and it makes me happy to see the smiles on their faces while they get to share with their community."