News We Love: Third-graders surprised with trip to Disney World
On Friday, a class of third-grade students in Daytona Beach, Florida, got the surprise of a lifetime.
Students at Westside Elementary School were pulled out of class for what they thought was a multiplication contest. Instead, they found out they were headed to Disney World.
Their teacher, Tasney Thomas, had secretly raised thousands of dollars to give her class a magical trip.
She handed them an envelope and told them,
"Open it up, see what it says. You're going to Disney World!" Thomas said.
The group exploded with joy and disbelief.
"I want to go to Space Mountain," one student said. "We watched a video about it, it looks super fun!"
Some students had been to Disney before. But for others, like two boys who moved from the Philippines just a year ago, this will be their first visit.
"It’s overwhelming, because it’s their first time in the United States," said one of the boys’ moms.
When asked what he’s most excited for, one student beamed and said, "The carousel ride."
And when WESH asked who he hoped to meet at the park, he smiled and said, "Donald Duck."
Why Donald?
"Because he's a duck!" he said.
Thomas said her class earned every bit of this.
"They read over 600 books, they performed very well on their state exams — exceeding both school and district expectations," she said.
The students will return to school bright and early on Saturday at 5:15 a.m. to catch the bus to Magic Kingdom. Thanks to the generous fundraising efforts, each student will receive a $25 gift card, two meals, and even Lightning Lane passes to skip the lines.
A dream come true, and a teacher’s love made it all possible.
