Turner Woods Elementary School’s PTO held a luau for the fifthgrade students May 20, so the students could celebrate one last time with their friends at the school and make memories.
Leslie Gowan, PTO secretary and communications chair at Turner Woods, said she was excited to see the students having so much fun during the luau.
“This is our luau for the fifth graders here at Turner Woods, where we had music and snacks. We wanted the students to feel special, and we wanted them all to come out to have a good time with their friends,” she said. “Aloha means hello and goodbye, so this was our goodbye to them.”
She said in the past the fifth graders were able to take trips and do other fun activities, and the PTO knew they were starting to feel a little neglected by not being able to do those things. She said this was a small event, but they knew they could get the event approved. The fifth graders could at least enjoy one last time at Turner Woods Elementary School.
“The kids have always looked forward to the trip to Washington, and while we couldn’t do that, we wanted to do this luau for them. We wanted them to feel loved and encouraged. This is just another milestone for these kids to celebrate. Hopefully they’ll look back on this year later and smile,” Gowan said.
Ethan Jones, one of the fifth graders at the luau, said he will miss having a good time with his friends and making the teachers laugh at Turner Woods Elementary School. He said he didn’t want to leave the school since he’s had so many good times in elementary school.
“It was a blast, they had beach balls for us to hit and everything at the luau,” he said. “I went with a Hawaiian type outfit for the evening. I made a lot of memories, too many good ones.”
The secretary said the luau event was exclusive to the fifth graders. She said there was music by a DJ, snacks, a selfie wall, and more for the fifth graders to enjoy.
Gowan said her favorite part of the night was watching the students enjoy everything. She said she was happy to see them making so many memories before they enter sixth grade next school year.
“They enjoyed the event. The kids who came to this had two years of dullness,” she said. “Maybe this wouldn’t have shone so brightly in a world pre-COVID. These kids were ready for something like this.”
Another student at the luau, Aubrey Steffens, said she was glad to be with her friends during the luau and enjoying the music. She said she wore a special luau outfit for the event. She said she was ready to say goodbye to Turner Woods Elementary School.
“I think it was fun and cool, because us fifth graders going to middle school next year don’t know if we’re going to see our friends next year again or not. I’m glad to make those memories,” Steffens said. “I’m excited and nervous for the sixth grade, because there will be more for us to do. We’ll be more independent, but I’m ready.”
