Floral Park-Bellerose School hosted its first annual Thanksgiving Balloon Parade on Nov. 22.

Second and third graders created their balloons in the Discovery Lab with teacher Marisa Critelli. After reading the book “Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade” by Melissa Sweet, they utilized the engineering process to craft their balloons, brainstorming design ideas and then drafting them on paper before decorating their balloons. The students decorated their balloons in the lab with their Big Buddies (students from an older class). Approximately 300 balloons were blown up by Critelli, along with help from teachers Amanda Ellis, Amanda Gargano and Amy Sebber.

The students marched in a parade down the main hallway the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving to show off their balloons to their peers.