K-8 Connect students celebrated October and November birthdays Nov. 11 at a party sponsored by Box of Balloons of Northwest Arkansas.
The nonprofit features parties for the school's students every other month, providing decorations, gifts and cake to celebrate their special days.
“It’s really very special,” said Korillene Flanigan, the assistant principal of Elementary, Middle and Junior High Alternative Learning Environments for Springdale Public Schools.
The parties help students know they’re not forgotten, she said.
Students with summer birthdays are among the first to be celebrated at the beginning of the school year, Flanigan said, ensuring every student has an opportunity to have their birthday remembered.
“Every kid likes a birthday party,” she said.
Flanigan said she’s grateful for the community partnership the school’s formed with Thea Powers, the Box of Balloons Northwest Arkansas chapter leader.
“I am passionate about loving our community well, and Box of Balloons has provided me the opportunity to do just that,” Powers said. “A birthday box is more than a collection of decorations and cake. It represents a spark of hope for a struggling parent and their child.”
