Students flooded into Room 907 after school on Wednesday, April 20  for the Great Grimm Giveaway. Due to her imminent retirement at the end of this year, Mrs. Anna Mae Grimm, a Homestead social studies teacher since 1989, held the event to give away mementos from her classroom.

Upon arrival, students were each assigned a number, indicating their place in the lottery for the Grimm memorabilia. Approximately 70 Highlanders piled into the classroom, each one like a kid in a candy store, scouting out which worldly treasures would be theirs.

The envy of all, Bridget Woody, senior, had the first choice and “all the power in the world,” Woody said. Woody, though initially overwhelmed with her power, decided on an architecture book and an aloe vera plant. After this, the organized chaos commenced.

The next string of students opted for some of the most coveted possessions, such as the zen bowl, communist glasses and Abacaxi binder. This period prompted an abundance of disappointed sighs and outcries from the crowd.

Within 15 minutes, the once vibrant and cosmopolitan room was stripped to a barren white. It was bittersweet as students of different grades, united by the common bond of Mrs. Grimm, reminisced about favorite memories and her “way of making things fun,” as Aaron Holman, senior, said.

Towards the event’s conclusion, a number of students offered their gratitude for Mrs. Grimm’s immeasurable impact on their lives in and out of Homestead. Though each of these experiences was unique, the positivity of her influence and inspiration was astounding. One of the mentioned students, Isabella Scaffidi, sophomore, concluded, “I think allowing students to take remnants of their experience with her is one of the most beautiful things.”

In the end, there were tears, laughs and memories.

“A piece of me is going away with each of you, and it makes me feel good,” Mrs. Grimm confirmed with a smile.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Carly Rubin

Mary Felli and Ashley Fishbein, freshmen, show off their winnings, the zen bowl and a house plant.