AUBURN - Anyone who thinks education isn't a circus has obviously never attended Owasco Elementary School.

For the past week the school, itself, has been turned into a circus.

For the past 10 years, the school has partnered with the National Circus program to create not only a solid sense of school spirit but a fun way to educate students, as well.

“We hold the circus at the beginning of the school year to develop a sense of school community with students, teachers and parents,” said Owasco Elementary School physical education teacher Lorrie Butcher during the annual circus held Friday evening at Auburn High School. “Not only does the program create team and school spirit but it is an ongoing performance educational experience as well. Students look forward to the circus each year.”

Butcher said that although the actual circus is performed by fifth-grade students, the week-long program is geared toward the whole school.

For the week prior to the community debut of the circus, students practice many traditional circus stunts like juggling, stilt walking and unicycle riding with professional circus performers from the National Circus Program.

“The stunts are actually very educational,” said Larry Rundle, a professional circus performer from the National Circus Program who spent the week educating students with circus workshops. “Juggling, for example, takes many educational skills such as math and mental comprehension. The program is quite a self-esteem builder.”

Miming was the focus of fifth-grade student Billy Farrington's attention this week.

“We worked hard all week with the circus people,” he said. “Today we practiced for like five hours. It was really fun.”

“The circus is something that the kids look forward to,” said Farrington's mother, Denise Farrington, who has also been a parent volunteer of the circus for the past three years. “The kids just can't wait to be in fifth grade to be able to be a performer. By the time they reach the fifth grade they know exactly what stunt they want to perform.”

But performing in the circus wasn't the only highlight of the evening. The circus also had a midway in which face painting, games and traditional circus foods were available.

Students, teachers and parents alike gathered on the front sidewalk of the high school for the chance to drench Owasco Elementary School second-grade teacher Mike Diehl in the dunking booth.

“It felt good to dunk him,” said student, Arron Messina after dunking the teacher. “He has been running his mouth all week to us.”

“I think that I am going to have quite a few enemies come Monday morning,” Diehl said, in between teasing patrons of the game.