Midway Elementary students celebrate Idaho Day

Midway Elementary School in Menan had a full slate of activities Wednesday for the first ever Idaho Day.

During the day students learned how to square dance, played Idaho bingo and crafted syringa flowers.

In the afternoon an assembly was held with the whole school in attendance. Students had the chance to see fossils from Idaho as well as live falcon and owl from the Idaho Falls Zoo.

The students also competed in an Abraham Lincoln look-a-like contest. Parent Charrise Bateman helped organize many of the activities. She said Lincoln was instrumental in Idaho’s history.

“He was the president who signed Idaho into a territory on March 4th, and then he was also responsible for several acts that impacted Idaho,” Bateman said.

Bateman’s father-in-law, Idaho Rep. Lindon Bateman, was behind the legislation that made March 4 Idaho Day.

“He sent letters and asked everyone to go big, and so we did,” said Bateman.

Students also enjoyed the state fruit huckleberry, in the form of ice cream and taffy.

Principal Gary Comstock said the huge celebration was a no-brainer.

“These are the foods, the flowers, and things that they would see a lot,” Comstock said. “This is the history of this area.”