Kids in a Button Gwinnett Elementary School class got a Christmas party they may not soon forget.
With bounce houses and 360-degree selfies – and top it all off, pizza – kids in Tracie Chavis’ fourth-grade class went into the winter break with a party to remember.
Teachers’ names were posted on social media, and votes were taken on favorite teachers and schools.
“They did a virtual spinning wheel with all the teachers names on it and it happened to end on my name,” Chavis said. “I’m blessed. I’m super excited because my kids have worked very hard this year. This would be a perfect way to go into Christmas vacation for them.”
Chavis, who has been teaching at Button Gwinnett for 21 years, also said the party was a reward for her students’ achievements. They’ve gone from learning how to write sentences to writing full essays in just one semester.
“My kids have grown tremendously in reading since the beginning of the year,” she said. “They’ve grown a lot in math as well.”
The party was the brainchild of Real Estate Resource Center broker Kathy Villafane, who enlisted help from other businesses and organizations, such as Countrywide Financial, S.O.N.G., It’s All About Me selfie studio, U Bounce and Splash of Paint.
“Last year, we decided to do something different,” Villafane said. “We said, let’s do something for the kids. Once we saw the smiles on their faces, we said this is our thing. The kids work hard before going on break. They’ve been taking exams. What a better way to reward them. They may not remember my name but they will remember the experience.
“It’s an overwhelming feeling,” Villafane continued. “To me, this is a small gesture. But I know this is something big to them, although it’s something simple to us. If you can brighten their day, let’s do it.”
The party also brought life full circle to Chavis – she taught Chloe Villafane in first grade and Kathy Villafane sold her her first house.
“It is a lot of my favorite people from my past,” she said.
As for the party itself, it might be hard to top that with future class parties.
“My kids said it is the best Christmas party they have ever had,” Chavis said. “We tried to make Christmas parties go well but this one will go down in history for them.”
