By B.C. Manion
Lutz Elementary took a break from the regular school routine last week to have some good old-fashioned fun.
It was a day set aside for remembering the community’s past and enjoying the fellowship of each other.
Kids went on hayrack rides on a flatbed stacked with bales of hay, towed by a tractor.
Other kids did impromptu square-dancing, while signing along to “Old MacDonald had a Farm,” played by the guitar duo of Stan Bozek and his son, Andrew. They got a kick out of strumming tunes, while children took turns taking hayrack rides around the school’s driveway.
Inside the cafeteria, kids at one table were making “snow bottles” — small water bottles filled with a mixture of oil, water and glittering pieces of confetti, that when shaken have the same effect as snow globes.
At another table, youngsters were coloring in a picture of the Old Lutz School, built in 1926-1927 — an icon of the community and a landmark which plays a starring role in the collective memory of this community.
At another table, kids listened to Elaine Warner and Phyllis Rowan, members of the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, as they told children how to make a “radish seed necklace.” Theoretically, the radish seeds will sprout in a matter of hours, when someone wears the necklace close to their skin.
Meanwhile, Robin Pritchard, a speech record aid, was fashioning hats out of newspaper for the kids.
Elaine Forbes, 10, was simply having a blast. She’s a huge fan of the Lutz Olden Day, a 19-year tradition at the school at 202 Fifth Ave., S.E. in Lutz.
“I love it,” she said. “It’s fun.”
She wasn’t the only one having a good time.
Alexa Linville, a volunteer mom, was working the table where kids get to color a picture of the old schoolhouse. Her 5-year-old son, Carson, who will be attending the school next year, was there demonstrating just how the coloring is done.
Linville said all of her children who have attended the school have enjoyed the annual event.
“It’s a great tradition of Lutz. It’s fun to be part of it.”
Principal Mary Fernandez said the event demonstrates the strong connection the school enjoys with the community.
Every year all sorts of volunteers help the school to put on the event, which combines lessons about the community’s history along with fun activities for the kids.
During this year’s event, there was a storyteller, line dancing, panning for gold, wheelbarrow races and a Girl Scout awards ceremony, among other things.
The event gives the children a firsthand look at community involvement, Fernandez said, noting many community volunteers show up each year to help provide a fun day for the students.
It’s also a great way to relax after demanding testing days, Fernandez said.
The principal said the school is lucky to be located in a place with such a strong sense of community.
When the school’s grade from the state is announced every year, Fernandez said it’s not uncommon for her to receive congratulatory calls from many area residents. Some don’t even have children at the school, she said.
They’re just proud of their school.
Teacher Judy Alvarez said the annual event helps the children form stronger connections to the community, a community that Alvarez said she loves.
Lutz is a special place, Alvarez said. “It’s just a small-town feel.”
