2016-09-30

With just a few simple items and a lot of imagination, incredible transformations can occur.

If you give a class a pumpkin and a few hours, watch what can happen.

“I told all of my teachers that we were going to have a special project today, that each class would be responsible for decorating a pumpkin,” Heber Hunt Elementary Principal Brendan Eisenmenger said. “They were supposed to discuss the theme with their class and then come up with an idea and create it in one day.

“I know some of the teachers did a little prep work at home, but many of the students and teachers have been hard at work this morning working on the pumpkins,” he added. “We’re going to have them on display all next week and have a penny war to see which pumpkin they like the most.”

The money raised by the penny war will be used for Heber Hunt’s Helping Hands Fund, a fund the school uses to help when a student or staff member faces an emergency situation and may need some support.

“It’s been a very busy day here,” Eisenmenger said. “We took our school pictures this morning and we have an attendance reward assembly this afternoon and I wanted our students to have an activity to help get them in the fall spirit of things.”

Eisenmenger said the idea was something he considered after the staff at Sedalia Middle School did a similar project years ago.

Based on the early entries on display, Eisenmenger said he hoped to make the pumpkin competition an annual one.

“The teachers and kids have done a great job of taking up the challenge and have really exceeded expectations,” he added.

The students in Taylor Thomas’s second grade class were looking forward to finishing their pumpkin after lunch, but first there was a spelling test they had to take.

“I don’t think they’re going to be very happy with me but they have to take their spelling test before we can get back to our pumpkin,” Thomas said as her students entered the classroom. “We painted our pumpkin gold this morning but we still need to glue on all the candy corn to make our tiger and do a few other things, but we’ll get it finished.”

Eisenmenger also got into the fall spirit, creating a pumpkin of his own, a likeness of himself.

“I did this at about nine o’clock last night,” Eisenmenger said while holding his “twin.” “I had a lack of options at home so I used the paint I had, black and white.

“I filled out the discipline report this morning and added the tie and that was all it took,” Eisenmenger added. “It’s been a lot of fun for all of us.”


Olliver Salazar and Gideon Salazar look at a pumpkin created by Dana White’s mixed age classroom students Friday afternoon at Heber Hunt. Students and teachers in each classroom were asked to decorate a pumpkin in one day by principal Brendan Eisenmenger. The students will vote for their favorite pumpkins throughout the upcoming week.

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Olliver Salazar and Gideon Salazar look at a pumpkin created by Dana White’s mixed age classroom students Friday afternoon at Heber Hunt. Students and teachers in each classroom were asked to decorate a pumpkin in one day by principal Brendan Eisenmenger. The students will vote for their favorite pumpkins throughout the upcoming week.

Hope Lecchi|Democrat


Friday, Heber Hunt 1st grade teacher, Susan Howe and her students created their take on the effects of homework, with their pumpkin “Homework Makes Me Sick.”

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_tsd100116pumpkins2.jpg

Friday, Heber Hunt 1st grade teacher, Susan Howe and her students created their take on the effects of homework, with their pumpkin “Homework Makes Me Sick.”

Hope Lecchi|Democrat


With some paint, gauze and a pair of googly eyes Michael Tyler’s third grade students created a mummy with their pumpkin in Heber Hunt’s pumpkin contest Friday. The students will cast penny votes to choose their favorite pumpkins throughout next week. The funds raised go to the school’s Helping Hands project.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_tsd100116pumpkins3.jpg

With some paint, gauze and a pair of googly eyes Michael Tyler’s third grade students created a mummy with their pumpkin in Heber Hunt’s pumpkin contest Friday. The students will cast penny votes to choose their favorite pumpkins throughout next week. The funds raised go to the school’s Helping Hands project.

Hope Lecchi|Democrat

Margie Meyer, administrative assistant, Carrie Howieson, social worker, and Robin Banaka, Heber Hunt para professional, created Clifford the Big Red Dog and his house for office visitors and students to enjoy. Their creation is displayed in the elementary office.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_tsd100116pumpkins4.jpg

Margie Meyer, administrative assistant, Carrie Howieson, social worker, and Robin Banaka, Heber Hunt para professional, created Clifford the Big Red Dog and his house for office visitors and students to enjoy. Their creation is displayed in the elementary office.

Hope Lecchi|Democrat

Heber Hunt principal Brendan Eisenmenger holds his “twin pumpkin” Friday morning outside the elementary office. Eisenmenger asked each classroom teacher and their students to decorate a pumpkin on Friday to help get them in the fall spirit. Eisenmenger said a lack of supplies at his home helped in his decorating decisions adding he only had two colors of paint, black and white, to use.

http://sedaliademocrat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_tsd100116pumpkins5.jpg

Heber Hunt principal Brendan Eisenmenger holds his “twin pumpkin” Friday morning outside the elementary office. Eisenmenger asked each classroom teacher and their students to decorate a pumpkin on Friday to help get them in the fall spirit. Eisenmenger said a lack of supplies at his home helped in his decorating decisions adding he only had two colors of paint, black and white, to use.

Hope Lecchi|Democrat

By Hope Lecchi

hlecchi@sedaliademocrat.com

Hope Lecchi can be reached at 660-826-1000 ext. 1484.

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