Four-year old Grace Levine from the Butterfly class at Trinity Lutheran Preschool admires her gold during the Gold Hunt event Friday.
Photo by Sarah Drinkwine.
Douglas County must be a pot of gold for a leprechaun and Irish dancers to want to visit for St. Patrick’s Day.
First, a leprechaun dropped his coins on the playground at Trinity Lutheran Preschool and Daycare center Friday morning while trying to escape.
“I almost caught him, but he got away,” said Trinity Lutheran Assistant Director Samantha Tierney. “He ran out so quick that he dropped his gold all over our playground and you get to find it today.”
Students ages 3-8 years old participated in the gold hunt in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
Gold coins were scattered around the playground for the 3-year-olds and painted gold rocks for the transitional, pre-kindergarten and school age students.
Throughout the week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, classrooms read books about the holiday, danced to Irish music and learned a bit of history.
“It was really all about the leprechaun and shenanigans; just for fun,” said Tierney.
Tierney said the themed day started as a party teachers would do in their classrooms.
“Each teacher would set up their own little shenanigans caused by the leprechauns,” she said. “We don’t really do the party anymore, but I wanted to bring it back in some way because it was so much fun.”
Tierney said she decorated the facility as if a leprechaun had made his way through, including green footprints that led to a secret door.
Students also enjoyed “leprechaun juice,” which was milk and water dyed green, corn beef and green dyed potatoes and sweet treats.
Trinity Lutheran Preschool and Daycare center incorporates many holidays into their curriculum through ways that the students will understand while making it fun and interactive. Coming up next is the annual Easter Egg hunt where lessons about the holiday are taught through the seasonal change of Spring.
“It represents the cycle of life and the resurrection of new life, much like the resurrection of Jesus and reason for Easter,” said Tierney.
Tiereny said she and the teachers at Trinity Lutheran enjoy adding themes to their curriculum.
“It makes it fun and gives the kids something to look forward to,” she said.
Later, Irish tappers and AAD Ariel entertained at the Johnson Lane All About Dance Studio for the first All About St. Patrick’s Day.
When All About Dance owner and Creative Director Sarah Palamar couldn’t find a family friendly St. Patrick’s Day event, she decided to make her own.
“St. Patrick’s Day is typically a drinking holiday and I wanted something that anyone could come to,” said Palamar.
The AAD Arial and Tap Dancers performed Irish dances every 15 minutes while attendees enjoyed food and drinks prepared by Busboy, Cutthroat Brewery and The Human Bean. Crafters and other vendors including jewelry, 1864 Apparel were also part of the event.
Palamar said the event turned out to be a hit and future plans for an annual event is in the works, she said.
“Community events and the opportunity to bring people together is what the community is all about and anything we can do to be a part of that and help make that happen is what we are all about,” she said.
Genoans celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by packing the Town Hall on Friday.
“It was a big success,” a town spokeswoman said.
