Mt Kisco Students Enjoy a Hawaiian-Themed Bowling Celebration

“I’ve never gotten a strike before. This is the first time I ever got one!” Carlos Morales Mejia exclaimed. Carlos and his peers were participating in Mount Kisco Elementary School’s Hawaiian-themed annual bowling event in physical education, which wraps up PE’s bowling unit.

The tradition was passed down by former MKES PE teachers Coach Delfavero and Coach Ponzio. Coaches Rylan Borror and Craig Henley picked up the torch and continued the beloved tradition.

The gym is decked out in Hawaiian-themed decorations (including inflatable palm trees!), and the teachers wear Hawaiian shirts, leis and sunglasses. Beachy music plays from the speakers, and students get to grab a lei each time they bowl a strike or a spare. A gong sits near a table decorated with a grass skirt and sounds each time a student bowls a strike. The excitement is palpable.

Students jump and cheer for one another, racing over to watch their friends get a chance to strike the gong.

“Celebrating with friends is the best part,” Josue Ruiz said with a grin.

The event is a competition, with some teams dressed in themed outfits. Some distinguished themselves by color, others by wearing sports jerseys or Taylor Swift apparel.

“Students work on their cooperation and teamwork skills, as well as the ability to keep track of their own scores,” Borror said.

The coaches hope it’s a skill they will be able to enjoy well into adulthood.

“Bowling is a lifetime activity and breeds great participation from students of all ages,” said Henley.