First Baptist Christian School 3rd – 5th Graders Getting Ready to be Balloons Over Vermilion Ambassadors

ABOVE: Jenna Picray’s third grade class at First Baptist Christian School displays their personal hot air balloon design proposals.

This year’s chosen Ambassador Class for Balloons Over Vermilion are third, fourth, and fifth graders at Danville’s First Baptist Christian School.  Experienced hot air balloon pilots Dean Carlton and Larry Owen stopped by for a visit on Friday, April 25th.  In addition to answering questions about ballooning, Carlton and Owen were also there to look at the students’ individual drawings of their own designed balloons.  And they saw balloon themes from favorite teams to tributes to family pets.  As Larry Owen explains, being the ambassador class is a big job.  And designing the brochure, with their own balloon designs, is a big part of it.

(1st Picture) Third grade teacher Jenna Picray assists her students with their balloon designs.  (2nd Picture) Fourth grade teacher Amber Seest poses with her students and their balloon proposals.  (3rd Picture) Balloon pilots Dean Carlton and Larry Owen explain the complexities of balloon flying to Mrs. Seest’s class.

AUDIO: It’s their ideas.  It’s their colors.  And then we’ll take one from each one of the kids, and we’ll make a poster out of it.  But they learn all kids of stuff about ballooning too.  Like how the balloons work; they learn the history of ballooning; and it’s pretty neat. 

As third grade teacher Jenna Picray recalls, her students read about the first ever hot air balloon; shortly before they received the good news.

AUDIO: I think they’re fairly excited; you can hear the chatter in the background!  But, we did have a story about it, before we even knew that we were going to do balloons.  And they’ve had a lot of fun and creative ideas, as they try to figure out what they want to do for their balloons.

(1st Picture) Fifth grade teacher Andrea Byram listens with her students to pilot Dean Carlton.  (2nd Picture) Wade, a student in Mrs. Seest’s class, looks at an Illinois map with pilot Larry Owen to see where various Balloons Over Vermilion pilots are from.  (3rd Picture) Gabe, a fifth grader, shows off his balloon design.

The other involved teachers are Andrea Byram for fifth grade, and Amber Seest for fourth grade.  Mrs. Seest stated that her class has stepped in with full dedication, very proud to join the tradition of BOV Ambassador Classes.

(1st Picture) Dean Carlton answers questions from fifth graders.  (2nd Picture) Third grader Kyndal, in Mrs. Picray’s class, explains his Los Angeles Lakers balloon design (a popular theme in that class!).  (3rd Picture) Pat O’Shaughnessy listens as Dean Carlton and Larry Owen talk with fourth graders.

AUDIO: They’re learning a lot about being involved in the community.  And they’re excited about going and seeing the balloons and marching before them.  Yes, it’s very important to be an ambassador and to be the host school.  There’s been several before us, so we’re excited to be the next one.

This year’s Balloons Over Vermilion at Vermilion Regional Airport will be July 11th and 12th.