Cowan Elementary School turned 100 years old this year.

The school was established in 1922, which makes this year the establishment’s centennial birthday. To celebrate this milestone, each grade level was given a month to plan and choose the school-wide birthday festivities.

“Our festivities have already included a school-wide field trip to the Manchester Swimplex, Friday afternoon dance parties, pumpkin-carving competitions and a giant American flag unfurling. Each of these events are being made possible by local businesses’ generous donations during our Bulldog Boogie Fundraiser,” said Principal Cynthia Young.  

For this month’s celebration, the fifth-graders put on a Christmas Bazaar in the gym for each grade to visit throughout the school day.

“The fifth grade teachers and students worked diligently in planning this event and it showed!” Young said. “Fifth-grade students took on leadership roles and manned each station for the younger students.”

The stations included: face painting, ornament making, reindeer food, hot cocoa, a story read aloud, basketball shooting and an edible reindeer craft.

“Everyone had so much fun!” Young said. “We even had some special visitors that wanted to get in on the fun: Santa, Grinch, and the Elf on a Shelf!”

To conclude the celebrations for this school semester of birthday celebrations, students were given a school shirt for a birthday/Christmas present. The shirts are green and white with an emblem that marks their school’s 100th birthday.

“We are grateful for each business that donated to our school,” Young said. “Without these generous donations, these events would not be possible. This has been a special semester for all involved, and it allowed us to make wonderful school memories for the students to cherish as they get older.”