Imagine the scene: Kylie Harris, the effortlessly cool headteacher at Sheffield Area Elementary School, brought the school year to a close with a rather unconventional act – she planted a big ol’ kiss. But hold on to your seats, because this was no ordinary smooch. It was a kiss with a purpose! Harris had vowed to lock lips with a pig after the students absolutely aced a food drive organised by the dynamic second grade teacher, Kristine Conn.

The objective of the 12 Days of Christmas food drive was to gather 1,250 food items to donate to the Sheffield Food Pantry. And guess what? The students smashed that goal, and then some. The donated food will go a long way in feeding up to 75 families in the local area. Now that’s seriously impressive!

But wait, it gets even more fascinating. The students weren’t the only ones getting in on the action. Harris put her reputation on the line, agreeing to give a big smooch to either a puppy or a pig if the goal was met. And, as expected, the students were all in favour of the pig smooch. They wasted no time in starting their chants.

Behind the scenes, Conn worked her magic to get the whole drive up and running. She didn’t just stop at collecting food, though. She made sure the students understood exactly why and where the food was going. Talk about a teaching moment, right?

The whole puppy-versus-pig debate had the hallways buzzing with excitement. Some students were firmly on team pig, while others were a bit more relaxed about opting for the puppy. But in the end, Harris stayed true to her word and planted one right on that pig. Why? Because she’s all in when it comes to doing whatever it takes for her students. That’s what you call dedication!

And it wasn’t just the students and teachers who made the drive a hit. The Sheffield Middle-Senior High School cheerleaders, the P.T.O., and the staff were all on board as well. It was a true community effort, and that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Harris summed it up perfectly when she said, “There’s so much that goes into school than just education. As a society, we don’t understand everything that goes into a school day, but we’re bringing up small humans, right? We’re raising them.” And she’s absolutely spot on. This food drive didn’t just fill up the pantry, it also filled the students with a sense of giving back and looking out for others. And that’s a lesson that will stay with them for a lifetime.

So, take a bow, Sheffield Elementary. You absolutely nailed this food drive, and your headteacher was a total champ for locking lips with that pig. Now that’s definitely a memorable way to bring the school year to a close!