SPECIAL DAYS: PART ONE
Since Halloween looms, spending some time on Graland’s special days during its early days might be informative and even -gasp! --fun.
Again, I am excerpting from Mrs. Gorham’s book:
“Shortly, after the opening of school each year came Pet Day, when each child brought his/her animal to the assembly. . . walked it around the grand circle and said a few words about it. The school had many pets in the late twenties, thirties, and forties. There were always one or two donkeys. The kindergarten children took rides nearly every day in a beautifully decorated Sicilian cart that Chet Preisser, shop and gym teacher, helped the children make. For several years, there were sheep, some years a goat, chickens, or ducks. One memorable year we had pigs.
“The Halloween parade was started, and the top grade made a Spook House for the younger children. At Thanksgiving, the American history class always wrote a Pilgrim play and presented it as part of the Thanksgiving service. The children and parents made costumes, aided by Barbara Nunn, on whose creative talent everyone depended for many years. The art and music departments helped where we needed them. The whole school collected food for needy families to be distributed through Judge Gilliam’s court."
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
