PACES (Perry’s Academic Cultural and Enrichment Services) participated in the nationwide yearly Lights On After School celebration Thursday with a variety of activities at the Perry Elementary School. In conjunction with the Lights On event, PACES was celebrating their 20th year of serving the Perry community.
Director Mary Hillman welcomed a full house to the event, noting the significance of the two decades PACES has been a valuable part of the educational experience in the community and thanking those who had helped the program, both currently and along the way.
Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks briefly addressed the gathering, with Perry Mayor John Andorf reading a proclamation denoting the day as “PACES and Lights On After School” Day in the city.
A talent show was held, with the pre-K and TK, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade and combined fourth and fifth grade classes taking to the stage and performing routines they had clearly spent much time rehearsing.
Awards were presented to each class in the annual Light Bulb (pre-K/TK, kindergarten, first and second grades) coloring contest, the third grade poster contest and both the fourth and fifth grade essay contests.
Jack Andrews (first), Allison Finn (second), Jessica Banales (third) and Rylan Dunsmoor (honorable mention) won in the pre-K/TK group, with Sebastian Banuelos (first), Declan Baldwin (second), Josias Cortez (third) and Izzy McGill and Jordyn Sass (HM) noted for the kindergarten.
First grade winners were Isai Rodriguez (first), Jayden Lopez-Tapia (second), Jessa Hellman (third) and Jadiel Menendez-Barrios (HM), with Natalie Whiton (first), Liam Finn (second), Jackson Brocka (third) and Idally Chavez (second) selected from the second grade.
Maybeline Flores-Jimenez was first in third grade, with Evelyn Cisneros second, Yaneli Torres-Gonzalez third and Elena Lawson honorable mention.
Fourth grade honorees were Jasmine Gonzalez (first), Blake Buswell (second), Jadelyn Hoffman (third and Angel Pulido (HM), with Sandra Banales (first), Destiny Gonzalez (second), Rosa Pineda (third) and Charlie Jones (HM) chosen from among the fifth grade.
Hillman thanked several local foundations and businesses for their financial support, and singled out Iowa Public Television and Blank Children’s Hospital for their long-term backing.
A beef burger and fruit and dessert dinner was held at the conclusion of the event.
