Pacific Beach Elementary students are gearing up to honor their school’s mascot — and real-life counterparts — with a week of special activities surrounding World Penguin Day on April 25.
Principal Karon Schnitzer and the campus’ fourth and fifth grade Student Leadership Team are planning the activities.
World Penguin Day is designed to raise awareness about these flightless birds in order to preserve their species so future generations get to see the elegant and remarkable creatures. Their day coincides with the annual northern migration of Adélie penguins, which starts each year around April 25.
This celebration was created at McMurdo Station, an American research center on Ross Island, Antarctica. World Penguin Day is a way to commemorate the annual migration and raise awareness about these creatures. People are encouraged to learn more about penguins, the dangers they encounter, their environment and their contribution to the environment.
“Penguins matter and should be protected and not used for science experiments,” fifth grade leadership team member Carly Bogy said when asked what she wants her classmates and community to learn through the celebration.
Claire Hawley, another fifth grade leadership team member, added, “I want our students and community to know the unique features of penguins and to understand that penguins are really cool.”
Pacific Beach Elementary’s mascot is being celebrated with a series of school spirit activities the week of April 21-25. It will culminate with a special visit by one of SeaWorld’s penguins and an animal care specialist.
The spirit week activities will include a coin collection drive to benefit World Wildlife Fund’s penguin adoption program, wearing colors of the sea on April 22 for Earth Day, a “waddle out of bed” Pajama Day and the SeaWorld assembly.
