Good Shepherd School kindergartners Stephen Mendez, left, Hadley Brune and Sebastian Johnson smile as they walk down the aisle dressed in their Sunday best as Mr. Q and Miss U during the school’s annual “QU wedding.” On April 14, Good Shepherd’s gym was packed with excited parents, grandparents and the entire student body to witness the union of the letters q and u. Good Shepherd kindergarten teacher Debbie Achilles said they’re hard letters, but the wedding helps students learn spelling. The Message photos by Megan Erbacher
“By the power vested in us, we now pronounce you QU,” Good Shepherd School kindergarten teachers Amy Hart, left at microphone, and Debbie Achilles said in unison to their 42 kindergarten students. On April 14, Achilles and Hart presided over a ceremony to unite Mr. Q and Miss U at Good Shepherd’s annual “QU wedding” for kindergartners. During the ceremony, Hart and Achilles said the two letters will go together forever to spell words such as quarter, question, quack and quest. However, the teachers explained that Q will have to be understanding, because other words may need U, such as umbrella and underwear. The teachers asked students to join hands, as they vowed to be with each other “through spelling and reading, in quarrels and in health, forever and ever.”
After the ceremony, everyone was invited to stand and dance the “Chicken Dance.” Good Shepherd School kindergarten teacher Debbie Achilles is pictured dancing behind kindergarten students Izzy Groves, left, Knox Davis, Eloise Peter, Bert Sandefur and Ella Petrig. Achilles has organized the Q and U wedding for about 20 years, but she said the celebration started nearly 30 years ago. She looks forward to the wedding every year and said, “It’s the best day ever.”
Good Shepherd kindergartners Hank Theby, left, and Eliana Deang process down the balloon-line-aisle dressed as Mr. Q and Miss U.
