Fifth grade students at Dayton Elementary School donned cowboy hats, boots and flannel shirts and learned some new dance moves as part of their Wild West celebration.

The classes spent a few weeks reading about the westward expansion including the railroad, Oregon trail, gold rush and more. Teacher Brittany Rushfeldt says each student read an individual novel and created a book report poster about it. “We learned a lot about what life was like back in the days of the West,” says Rushfeldt. “We even decorated our hallway to represent that era.”

To celebrate the end of their unit, the school brought in members of the Lafayette Fun Squares Club and caller Bill Garrison to lead the students in learning a few square dances and a line dance.

After a little Do Si Do and even the Cupid Shuffle, the students made their own butter.

“The students enjoyed our day,” says Rushfeldt. “I think the students would tell you the worst part was having to hold hands with their peers and the best part was eating their own homemade butter on rolls.”