Second grade students pulled cardboard floats and beat on marching band drums, dressed on their finest — or in their finest pajamas — during the Wareham Elementary School Thanksgiving Parade on Wednesday, Nov. 22.

Students from other grades lined the halls, cheering on the second graders with thunderous applause. 

It "felt weird" getting all the attention, said one student, Kiernan, who had a pirate themed float.

It was "loud" with all the people clapping, said another student, Olivia, who's own float was submarine themed. 

All agreed it was a fun time. 

This is the third year the Wareham Elementary School has held a Thanksgiving parade, said STEAM Teacher Elizabeth Hayes. She organized the parade together with fellow STEAM Teacher Holly Colombo. 

Preparation for the parade started five or six months out, Hayes said. 

Students began by learning about the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, then moved to learning about the design and construction of the floats. 

The students, working in small groups, designed cardboard floats to be pulled along by strings. 

"We built a clown fish and learned about teamwork," said student Alexia Robles. 

Another student, Jack, said his group built a seahorse, but was frustrated when its head kept falling off. 

All that effort culminated in the parade day itself, an event the students had looked forward to for years. 

The current group of second graders was in kindergarten the first time the school held its Thanksgiving parade, and the students watched their older schoolmates participate, said Hayes. 

Hayes said it was "a rite of passage into second grade."