TEACHERS TURNED INTO ICE CREAM SUNDAES

Event was a reward for students who read for 113,982 minutes in February

About 170 Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School students screamed with delight as five teachers and the principal became human ice cream sundaes.

Students dumped a huge bowl of ice cream on each of six school staffers and then added to the mess with marshmallows, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and last, but not least – cherries on top.

The private school with students in grades pre-K through fifth has been rewarding students for 12 years for reaching February goals of reading more than 100,000 minutes. This year’s Harry Potter theme is “Reading is Magical.”

Principal Joe Rodia took the biggest ice creaming for the team.

“It’s cold,” he said. “It’s yucky. You find sprinkles for a couple of days later.”

The ice cream sundae party is a reward for students who read for 113,982 minutes in February.

Parents and special guest

readers also read to the kids.

The school’s mascot is Chester the Lion. Green, yellow and navy blue are the school’s colors.

Since they reached their goal, it means the students are excited for one the most important reasons – reading, Rodia said.

Second-grade Teacher and Reading Month Coordinator, Jen Defeo, noted that the gym floor was coated with plastic wrap, and participants sat on basic metal chairs.

DeFeo was prepared to shower at home after riding in a car protected with several towels. She was very proud of the students for exceeding the goal of 100,000 minutes, while reading more than last year.

Human sundae and firstgrade Teacher Devon Garritt said the sundae making was “gooey, sticky and weighs your hair down.

“It’s all about seeing smiles on the kids’ faces when we get clobbered,” she said.

Every fifth-grader participated in the “ice creaming.”

Fifth-grader Sam Ehrich said she liked reading “The One and Only Ivan,” and classmate Hope Knoebel enjoyed “Black Beauty.” Fifth-grader Madeline Cunningham’s favorite was a series of Erin Hunter books.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School Principal Joe Rodia is transformed into a human ice cream sundae. Students were rewarded for exceeding a reading goal.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA No telling who is having more fun, the students or teachers. Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School rewards its students for exceeding a reading goal with an ice cream party.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Ice cream is only the first ingredient used when making human sundaes at Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School.

BILL RETTEW JR. – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School fifth-graders, Sam Ehrich, left, Hope Knoebel and Madeline Cunningham stir ice cream prior to turning their teachers and principal into human sundaes.