Students and teachers at Hawthorne Elementary School celebrated the last day of the 2008-2009 school year by dancing in the playground before school started on Thursday.

The dancing began with a few students around 7:30 p.m. and built as students arrived until the bell rang at 8:10 a.m.

“It’s just something fun for the kids to remember about the last day of school, and it became a tradition,” said Tom Dyrdal, physical education teacher.

Dyrdal started the event a few years ago after he’d taught the student the dances to songs like the “Macerenca” and “The Cha-Cha Slide” in gym classes for about six years. He said dances and other individual activities are used more often in gym classes now to give students alternatives to team sports and running.

“We do it for fun and to just try and encourage the kids to keep moving,” Dyrdal said.

Aside from being a healthy activity, Dyrdal said this is a memorable event for the last day of school.

The group of students formed on a patch of blacktop on outside the northwest corner of the school. Dyrdal stood up front and guided the students through the dance moves that included clapping, stomps, jumps and sliding from side to side.

“I just love all the enthusiasm they bring. … Kids are naturally movers, and they’re not quite so worried about what people think of them as adults. So they’re more apt to get out there and just have fun,” Dyrdal said.

First-grade teacher Suzanne Keist also joined in the dancing. Keist said it’s nice to have a day to enjoy time with the students after report cards are completed.

“It just gets them more involved, and they know they’re still a part of Hawthorne School,” Keist said. “Even the sixth-graders, who know they’re leaving us, are standing here doing the dancing.”

Sixth-graders Torri Helgeson and Kaitlynn Larson celebrated their last day at Hawthorne, and they said they know the dances well because they’ve done them in gym class many times.

“It’s just a way to celebrate that we’re done,” Helgeson said.

“It’s just good to be out there with our friends.”

Principal Corrine Tims danced with other teachers and a few parents toward the back the group. She said she liked seeing teachers out participating with the students.

“The big event here is the fact that kids get to see the teachers out here, which is going to encourage all the hesitant kids,” Tims said.

Tims said the event is a positive one for the last day, because it encourages the students to be active over the summer.

“It’s kind of a nice message to give to kids as they leave for the end of the year: keep moving through the summer,” Tims said.