ASHLAND — Juli Schneeg, a teacher at St. Edward School, stirred a pot of pickle brine in her classroom Tuesday morning.
Her fifth grade class learned how to make pickles as part of the school’s National Pickle Day celebration.
The school had a pickle cutout for students to take photos. Students guessed how many pickles were in a jar to win prizes.
A pickle song started out the school day for its “Mindful Music Moment.”
Pickleball was the activity of choice in gym class, and students could opt to wear green, pickle-themed outfits in lieu of their usual St. Edward uniforms.
“It’s fun to change the day up and make it different than the others while still learning,” said Bryce Neill, an eighth grader at the school.
According to St. Edward School’s principal, Suellen Valentine, the Pickle Day celebration started after students returned from the COVID-19 pandemic. For a while, field trips were off the table, so the school adapted by having themed days in-house.
Post-COVID, Valentine said the days stuck around.
National Pickle Day has become an annual tradition for students at St. Edward, along with themed days like Vacation Day, Tacky Tuesday and more.
Academics are always the priority, but it gives students a chance to change the pace and have some fun.
“It’s just something they really enjoy and remember,” Valentine said.
Below are photos of some of the day’s activities.
St. Edward second graders pose in a pickle cutout donated by a teacher’s dad on Nov. 14, 2023. 
Two second graders and their teacher pose for a photo in a pickle cutout on Nov. 14, 2023. 
Students could guess the number of pickles in a jar to win a prize. 
The school sealed pickles in airtight bags and let students participate in a “pickle toss” throughout the day. 
The eighth grade class tries their hands at the pickle toss. 
St. Edward eighth graders strategize before tossing their pickles. 
Eighth graders tried out the pickle toss. 
An eighth grade student laughs after tossing her pickle.
This independent, local reporting provided by our Report for America Corps members is brought to you in part by the generous support of the Ashland County Community Foundation.