Second-graders show off family ties
Just like their dads pick out ties for work and church, Augusta Preparatory Day School's second-graders were asked to select a tie from their father's wardrobe to bring to school.
The project, part of a writing and computer-skills lesson, served as an art project for the school's annual Grandparent's Day celebration Nov. 25.
Joyce Howard, a computer teacher for the lower- and middle-school grades at the school, said the project was first seen at a Georgia Independent School Association conference and was modified for Augusta Prep.
"Each second-grader was asked to bring a tie in and tell a story about it," Howard said. The so-called tie tales were then written on the computer and pasted onto a tie graphic. The ties were used to form turkey feathers for the art project.
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The stories behind the neckties were as varied as the colors and patterns they displayed.
Augusta Prep pre-K pupil Justin Horne, 5, shows his grandmother Shirley Horne his artwork during Grandparents Day at the school.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"My dad has many ties but this one is special for him," wrote Rafay Chaudhay, son of Ayaz and Aliya Chaudhary of Martinez. "He bought this tie for his first job interview in America. He wore this tie to the interview and got the job. This tie is made from silk. Its colors are green, gray, red and blue."
Kevin Huggins, the son of Will and Stephanie Huggins of Augusta, wrote, "My dad bought his tie five years ago. The money raised from selling this tie went to the World wildlife Fond (sic). They use the money to protect the endangered animals. Did you know that turtle's (sic) have not changed much for the past two-hundred million years?"
The tie tales project, according to Howard, was a great opportunity for fathers to share stories with their children, and for the children to do likewise by writing the stories down.
"This tie is special because the tie is from Italy," wrote Gabrielle Colopietro, the daughter of Dominic and Stephanie Colopietro. "My dad and mom bought this tie in Florence the year before I was born. My mom took my dad to Italy to see where his parents were born. My dad is a first-generation American."
Spencer King, the son of Adolphus and Pamela King of Evans, simply calls his father's tie "lucky."
"My dad's lucky tie is blue with purple and green. He likes this tie because it is the tie he wore when he met my mommy," Spencer wrote. "My dad was on his way from work and had to fill up his car with gas. My mommy saw him and thought he looked nice wearing his tie. She gave her phone number to daddy, but he had nothing to write on. So, he wrote it on his tie and thought, 'What a lucky tie!"'