Downtown Merchants Host Minot AFB First Graders

We loaded 36 first graders, two teachers, one para and some eager parents, all from North Plains Elementary, on a big yellow bus and headed south to the Main Street of downtown Minot. Final destination, Cookies for You and Margie’s Art Glass studio for a morning of fun and education decorating cookies and designing a personal pottery project.

I must admit that when I proposed to Mrs. White and Mrs. Little that this would be a great field trip they were on board immediately. Now, I just needed to get Casey from Cookies for You and Margie from Margie’s Art Glass studio to buy in. Thirty-six kids would be like a normal birthday party on steroids, but I promised both of them that there would be additional supervision to help keep all 72 little hands going the right direction.

The bus left North Plains elementary around 8:45 AM, arrived in downtown Minot at 9:15 AM unloading at Cookies for You. “It was a bit snug with everyone pretty much elbow to elbow” said Casey Klein, owner of Cookies for You, “but we had lots of help, and we were able to finish the cookies and each of them took their cookies with them.”

Then it was off to Margie’s, where downstairs the kids were able to craft their own art project. Here again, things progressed rather smoothly. Paint, kids and adrenalin can normally add up to a bit of chaos, but not today. Once again, the end justified the means. The only disappointment was that the students had to leave their project to go the kiln drying process. “You know, both of them (Cookies & Margie’s) were so organized. We actually got done a lot sooner than we anticipated” according to teach Mrs. White.

When I asked the kids how the day went, they all cheered. The final piece of our field trip puzzle was a $5.00 gift certificate from High Air Ground. Owner, Denise Lindbo, had the certificates delivered to Margie’s for the kids to take home. Why not High Air Ground, too? Well in an earlier class I asked the kids what they had done in Minot. Some of them said they had been to High Air Ground, but its little Sofia who suggested that if she went back she would like to take some guests with her. The heart of a little first grader. Thinking about others.

A big “Shout Out” to Casey, Margie, and Denise for their help in hosting this event. Another shout out to the parent/chaperones who went along and helped. Finally, a Shout Out to Mrs. White’s and Mrs. Little’s first grade classes for being such great kids and making the day enjoyable for everyone.