Walker third graders step up community and unity at Sneaker Ball

Walker Elementary School teacher Jenna Arceneaux transformed her third-grade classroom into an enchanting venue for the school’s first-ever Sneaker Ball on Friday afternoon, Jan. 27. 

The third-grade team at Walker held the event to celebrate the end of their fairytale unit.

Arceneaux’s magic touch turned the entrance to her classroom into a grand entryway with tinsel, twinkle lights and a shimmering sequin wall for a photo backdrop.

“Students did fairytale adaptations,” Arceneaux told the RoundTable as she completed the final touches to the decorations. “Many did stories like Three Little Pigs or Three Billy Goats Gruff. They gained an understanding of what fairytales are used for, and the parts of a fairytale. Then they adapted their own. They got to read them to their kindergarten buddies this morning.”

Walker third-graders pair with kindergartners for at least 30-minute sessions throughout the year for the students to read together. Arceneaux’s students read their adapted fairytales to their reading buddies in kindergarten teacher Cenietta Mullins’ class.

“It’s wonderful to see kindergarten kids sit still for an hour, looking and listening to their third-grade buddies,” said Mullins, adding, “They were just laser-fixed on them.”

In the afternoon, third-grade students celebrated in their classrooms with healthy snacks and a movie. They watched an adaptation of the fairytale, Cinderella, which adds a twist to the tale within New York’s sneaker culture. “So, we’re having our Sneaker Ball,” explained Arceneaux.

Students who wished to do so dressed in party attire and wore their most stylish sneakers at the celebration. Ruffles, gloves, crowns, suits, ties, and all the bling were a go for the Sneaker Ball. 

William E. and Henry W., both dressed in sleek black suits and crisp white shirts, with black sneakers, took time out to join their teacher, Elizabeth Nelson, at the photo wall. Third-grade educators were dressed for the occasion, adding to the magic of the event.

The Sneaker Ball was collaborative, as well as fanciful and inspiring. Arceneaux and her team reached out to their colleagues at other Evanston-Skokie District 65 schools. “This year, our friends at Lincolnwood and Lincoln are also doing it,” said Arceneaux.

Classroom teacher Tina Panagiotidis said, “What can I say? To see the kids coming in with, almost, sparkles coming out of their eyes. They were so excited to see each other, and to see their teachers. It was just remarkable.”