Fall is here and Juneau students are jumping in on the fun.
Molly Barnes’ KinderReady Preschool Program class from Harborview Elementary made its way down to Evergreen Cemetery Tuesday morning to partake in the annual student leaf jump organized by retired teacher Linda Torgerson. Classes from the Juneau district ranging from preschool up to fourth grade rotated throughout Monday and Tuesday during school hours to give their students time to dive in on the fun.
Each student got their chance to charge the pile in a full-force sprint before cannonballing into the leaves.
The mound of leaves was composed of around 50 garbage bags of leaves collected by teachers, parents and students from across Juneau who spent the last few weeks gathering leaves and drying them out in preparation for the fun at the cemetery.
“It’s quite the labor of love,” Torgerson said.
Torgerson said she started the leaf jump event around 25 years ago when she was a teacher at Juneau Cooperative Preschool. She said over the years the location has changed many times before landing at the Evergreen Cemetery for the past decade, and more and more people have gotten involved. She said she hopes to have this tradition continue and bring joy to the students and the rest of the community.
“It’s just so much fun,” she said.
• Contact reporter Clarise Larson at clarise.larson@juneauempire.com or (651)-528-1807. Follow her on Twitter at @clariselarson.
KinderReady Preschool student Isla Taintor throws leaves in the air on a cold Tuesday morning. Taintor and her KinderReady Preschool class from Harborview Elementary joined in on the fun at the annual student leaf jump event organized by retired teacher Linda Torgerson. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
KinderReady Preschool student Isla Taintor throws leaves in the air on a cold Tuesday morning. She and her KinderReady Preschool class from Harborview Elementary joined in on the fun at the annual student leaf jump event organized by retired teacher Linda Torgerson. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
KinderReady Preschool student Alex Easton charges at a giant pile of leave Tuesday morning at the Evergreen Cemetery. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
KinderReady Preschool students Daphne McEwen (left) and Isla Taintor (right) hold hands as they prepare to jump into a pile of leaves at the Evergreen Cemetery Tuesday morning. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
KinderReady Preschool student Declan Wilson lands in a pile of leaves Tuesday morning at the Evergreen Cemetery. The leaf pile is an annual event organized by Linda Torgerson and has been happening in Juneau for around 25 years.(Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Aiden Lott smiles as he is engulfed in leaves Tuesday morning at the Evergreen Cemetery. The leaf pile is an annual event organized by Linda Torgerson and has been happening in Juneau for around 25 years. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Alex Easton lands into a pile of leaves Tuesday morning at the Evergreen Cemetery. The leaf pile is an annual event organized by Linda Torgerson and has been happening in Juneau for around 25 years. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
