By Sara Ballenger

“I would like to present Santa Rita’s First-Grade Teddy Bear Marching Band,” a voice said over the loudspeaker as Santa Rita School’s 17th annual “First-Grade Teddy Bear Parade” began amid cheers and clapping, Oct. 5.

“It’s part of a unit that they study about bears,” said Principal Steve Peck. “They do bears with math, bear habitats for science, read about bears, sing about bears and today they performed ‘Teddy Bear Parade’.”

It’s a tradition that the first- grade students march in a circle in the school’s redwood grove while holding on to a teddy bear and singing. The students also perform a teddy bear chant and a rendition of ‘Teddy Bear Parade’ using hand motions.

It took about two weeks of preparation, said first-grade teacher Jennifer Naes.

“We practiced for about a week of just our songs in the classroom,” Naes said. “Then we came out here into the park to practice marching and using our instruments.”

While the first-graders marched, they were cheered on by their friends, family and “sixth-grade buddies.”

“The sixth-graders have a first-grade buddy, and most of the sixth-graders brought their bears too,” Peck said. “At the end of the parade the sixth- graders go back to class with their first-grade buddies and with their parents to see the work they have done all about bears.”

One sixth-grader was holding a sign that said, “Go First Graders!” For others, watching the parade brings back memories of their own.

“It’s fun because they’re very cute and you remember how when you were little and when you did the first-grade parade,” said Vera Finkelshteyn, a sixth- grader. “You remember how you had your own sixth-grade buddy. You have a lot of memories come back - it’s fun.”