Shepherdstown Elementary School teacher Liz Sutherland is pied by one of her students, fourth grader Luella Mullens, at the Spring Festival on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Students old and new could be found at Shepherdstown Elementary School (SES) on Saturday, excited to participate in the first annual Spring Festival.

The Spring Festival was organized by the school’s parent teacher organization, the Shepherdstown Elementary Association (SEA), as a way to raise funds for the school in a fun, new way.

“I’ve been here for 21 years, and we’ve always done some variation of this event,” said Shepherdstown Elementary School teacher Casey Frazier.

Frazier noted that this was the first time the festival has been held at the school, since the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“It used to be called the Red Bud Festival, in the past,” Frazier said. “It would showcase student art and raffles and bake sales — all of the same things that are here today. This is just more kid-friendly now, with all of the games.”

Shepherdstown Elementary School teacher Andrea Mitchell watches as one of her students works to dunk her at the Spring Festival on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

Carnival games, face painting, temporary tattooing and more were available to entertain attendees, which drew many to the event who otherwise might not have come.

“We revamped it into a carnival theme, so it’s a completely different festival now,” said SES alumni and SEA member Ashley Ware. “The world’s changing, so you have to grow with the community. You have to adapt, to keep events relevant and interesting.”

Ware’s children were eager to try out the carnival games, as were many of the other children at the festival, including SES second grader Adalynn Norman and her cousin, Morgan Norman. The two could be found intently playing a giant game of Connect Four together, as Adalynn’s mother, Patricia Hartman, looked on.

“We came to support this event. I also sponsored one of the booths here — the High Striker carnival game,” Hartman, who works as a dentist in Martinsburg, said. “Parents are always looking for something to entertain their kids with on the weekend. Being able to do that, while supporting such a good cause, is great!”

Fellow parent Terri Mullens agreed with her, as she watched her daughter pie her fourth grade teacher, Liz Sutherland, in the face with a pan filled with whipped cream.

Shepherdstown Elementary School students and community members play with some bubble equipment at the Spring Festival on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

“She dunked her three times before this, when she was at the dunk tank,” Mullens said, noting it was all in good fun, as her daughter has an excellent relationship with her teacher. “I think it’s a lot better than what they’ve done in the past. I like it — it’s a far better way to raise funds for the school. Rather than having the kids have to go out and sell things, they can just come have fun at an event like this.”

Recently, the SEA has given two things to the school, with funds raised through various initiatives — new physical education equipment and vision testing glasses, so the school nurse will be able to check if students need glasses. These donations were nothing, however, compared to what will be needed to be donated next January, when the school begins moving into its new building outside of the Corporation of Shepherdstown.

“We hope to be in our new building next year — we’ll likely be moving in, in January,” said SES principal Jodi Payne. “Legally, we’re required to not use our former location’s playground equipment, as it may become damaged if it’s moved and unsafe to play on. Playground equipment for the new school — even the most basic equipment options — will cost somewhere between $150,000 and $400,000.”

Payne noted that the equipment for the new building’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) room will also depend upon SEA donations.

“This festival is a good starting point, to help us prepare for our future location,” Payne said.

A father and son play tug-of-war together at the Spring Festival on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

Along with the raffle, baked sale and carnival games, the Spring Festival featured face painting and temporary tattooing by the Jefferson High School JROTC. Fresh cotton candy, popcorn, organic ice cream, snow cones, hamburgers, gourmet fries and many other food options could be found at stands within the school and at food trucks parked in the SES parking lot.

Shepherdstown Elementary School second grader Madalynn Norman, right, plays a giant game of Connect Four with her cousin, Morgan Norman, at the Spring Festival on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston