EASLEY — Students — and former students — at McKissick Elementary School who excelled at state exams in May were in for a special treat on Friday courtesy of the Easley Fire Department.

Fire fighters Dustin Alexander and Wade Brooks of Station No. 2 showed up a couple of hours before dismissal and turned the black top behind the school into an impromptu water park — with the help of a ladder truck and a nearby fire hydrant.

“We do these kinds of things a lot in the Summer,” said Alexander. “Churches, schools … just different groups looking for a fun way to cool down or as a special reward.”

Alexander said the department does the end of the school year blowout at Forest Acres Elementary School every year.

McKissick assistant principal Anita Richardson said Friday’s event was a reward for kids who did well on their SC Pass and SC Ready exams.

“They worked so hard, they earned this,” she said. “And we didn’t want the kids who moved on to miss out on it either.”

The fifth graders who took the exam in May had become Getty’s sixth graders this school year, Richardson explained.

Rather than them miss out on all the fun, the students, along with Gettys principal Mike Cory, returned to McKissick for the afternoon of fun.

Some kids jumped, splashed, played tag, pretended to swim and created conga lines winding in and out of the “splash zones” while others occupied themselves with cart-wheels and games of hop-scotch.

Others simply enjoyed a brief respite from the heat and were content to sit chatting in circles while the water misted around them.

The first “Pass Blast” was held in 2014 but it wasn’t until the following year the Gettys sixth graders were included. Now in the program’s fourth year, it’s one of the things kids at the school say they most look forward to.

In all, 34 students from both Gettys and McKissick were able to enjoy their homemade water park, a tradition the school’s faculty said they would like to continue.

Students at McKissick Elementary who excelled at state exams in May were in for a special treat on Friday courtesy of the Easley Fire Department.
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_131.jpgStudents at McKissick Elementary who excelled at state exams in May were in for a special treat on Friday courtesy of the Easley Fire Department. Kasie Strickland | The Sentinel-Progress

Some kids jumped, splashed, played tag, pretended to swim and created conga lines winding in and out of the “splash zones.”
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_213.jpgSome kids jumped, splashed, played tag, pretended to swim and created conga lines winding in and out of the “splash zones.” Kasie Strickland | The Sentinel-Progress

Gettys sixth graders returned to McKissick to take part in the Pass Blast.
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_246.jpgGettys sixth graders returned to McKissick to take part in the Pass Blast. Kasie Strickland | The Sentinel-Progress

Mckissick Principal Gary Mohr, left, tries to talk Gettys Principal Mike Cory, right, into joining in the fun.
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_367.jpgMckissick Principal Gary Mohr, left, tries to talk Gettys Principal Mike Cory, right, into joining in the fun. Kasie Strickland | The Sentinel-Progress

By Kasie Strickland

kstrickland@championcarolinas.com

Reach Kasie Strickland at 864-855-0355.