Dear Parents, Families, and Staff:  Do you have a child that loves a superhero? Batgirl! Captain America! Spider-Woman! Mr. Incredible! Supergirl! The Incredible Hulk! Flash! Superman! Invisible Woman! The Green Lantern! Come participate in the Miners Day Parade on Saturday, September 17, 2016, with your child! This community event is a terrific tradition and great way for us to pull together to show some school spirit in our community! This year we are calling our parade entry “Town of Heroes,” reflecting a superhero theme. Children, staff, and parents can dress up like superheroes and participate together. Put your child in their favorite superhero t-shirt or costume. Put that superhero cape or mask on, but leave fake weapons which may accompany those costume sets at home.

We are decorating a truck and trailer as well to enter in the parade, generously donated for our use by the Jordan family. Thank you Jordan family! Some children, but not all children, will be able ride on the trailer due to space. Those not able to ride on the float can walk the route, alongside the float. If you need to bring a wagon / stroller to pull or push children along the parade route, that would be great too. We’ll dress up the wagon or stroller with some superhero spirit before taking off in the parade.

Parents and staff will need to park where they can at around 9:30am, and then locate the Spark team at the parade staging area on Hawthorn Street between Tipple Parkway and 5th Street. You can park at Spark! or Thunder Valley K-8 if you’d like. The parade starts promptly at 10am and will follow a route heading west on 5th Street to Crist Park. We will then walk back to the Spark! Discovery Preschool parking lot by turning south on Main Street and east on 8th Street. After the parade there is a festival at Crist Park on 5th Street.

In order to prepare, we are in need of volunteers.

• On Wednesday, Sept 7 we will begin our props and decorations for the trailer from 3:00 – 4:30 pm. We’ll also need a few volunteers take the children to one of our two playgrounds to play while adults do some work. We’ll start to create some large wooden word cut outs for words (such as “BAM!” or “KaPOW!”) for the sides of the trailer. We have ply-wood but could use your tools and sanders.

• On Thursday, Sept 15, we will finish work on props and decorations for the float from 3 – 4:30 pm. We’ll also need a volunteer take the children to one of our two playgrounds to play while adults do some work. We finish the creation of large wooden word cut outs (such as “BAM!” or “KaPOW!”). We’d also like to make a plan for other decorations to go around the trailer and truck so the team on Saturday morning has a definite plan and materials ready.

• On Saturday, Sept 17, from 8:30 – 9:30 am, we’ll need volunteers to decorate the trailer for the parade along the staging area on Hawthorn Street between Tipple Parkway and 5th Street.

  If your family chooses to participate either by walking, wagon, or float riding, we will need to have a family waiver signed by the morning of the parade. Attached is the waiver/release form for participation. Also, all children must be accompanied by an adult for the whole time they are participating in the parade. Please sign and return it, either by dropping it off in the office or giving it to your child’s teacher.

  Let’s create an awesome experience for our preschoolers and spend some time together outside of school. We appreciate your support and look forward to Miner’s Day 2016.

  With respect –Paige Gordon & the Spark! Discovery Preschool staff