Dozens of fairies took over the State Rd. Elementary School library on Monday, in celebration of the school’s annual Fairy Day, organized by kindergarten teacher Jacqueline Smith.
More accurately, I should say that it appeared that dozens of fairies had taken over the library, because no one actually saw any of the secretive sprites. But their fairy homes and twinkling fairy jars were much in evidence, lining a pathway that wove among the library’s bookshelves.
This is actually the ninth year that State Rd. kindergarten teacher Jacqueline Smith has created a fairy garden, but the first one that has taken place in the library, and the first time the whole school has been involved.
Smith has been holding “Fairy Day” for her kindergarten classes every year since 2015. It’s part of an entire fairy tale unit, into which she also incorporates lessons in science, literacy, mathematics, art, even music. On one special day, she’d transform her kindergarten classroom into a magical wonderland, complete with twinkly lights, fairy jars, fairy dust, fairy music, fairy wands and fairy stories.
This year, Smith invited the entire school to take part in the magical festivities. The response was heartwarming. Individual grade levels embraced the challenge to make different parts of the fairy trail; fourth graders made flowers to hang from the ceiling. First graders made stepping stones, UPK students made ladybugs and butterflies, OT students made beaded raindrops and umbrellas, and the kindergartners made fairy gardens and fairy jars.
But Smith was particularly touched by the support she received from State Rd. staff members, who showed up in force to help decorate the library on Friday afternoon. They helped drape green tablecloths over the bookshelves, hang backdrops, spread twinkling green lights along the pathway, hang butterflies and flowers, set up all the houses and fairy jars, and so much more.
“How magical it was to see the team effort,” Smith said. “It was pretty spectacular. Everyone was so excited to see the fairy magic come alive.”
Staff enthusiasm didn’t end there, either. Teachers and support staff alike took Fairy Day to heart, coming to school on Monday with their fairy wands, fairy wings, butterfly wings, sparkly masks and tutus.
Every class took their turn strolling through the fairy lane, which twinkled brightly with the library lights turned low. The youngest students in particular delighted in trying to catch a glimpse of even one fairy peeking out of a fairy house window or sleeping in one of the twinkling fairy jars.
The magical fairy garden was dismantled immediately after school on Monday, but the school’s fascination with fairies did not end there. There’s actually a permanent fairy trail behind the school, which directs walkers past 26 uniquely decorated and lovingly built fairy houses, one for each letter of the alphabet.
The path was created in 2019, thanks to the efforts of then-State Rd. parent Brian Roode. Several of the houses have become damaged and weathered in the years since they were installed, so this year, Roode replaced 12 of them. Since the weather is supposed to be so beautiful this week, I imagine there will be a lot of students out there on the path, wondering if all of the fairies recently uprooted from the library had found new homes.
Click here to read the blog I wrote last year about Jacqueline Smith’s Fairy Day and the fairy trail. You can also click here to see some more photos from Fairy Day and some of the new fairy houses installed behind the school. Thank you to Jacquie Smith for most of these photos!
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(posted 5/10/2023)
webster on the web 
Adorable! And how fun for the little ones!!! What a great way to learn and make it fun!