At Lick Creek Community Consolidated School, a small Pre-K through eighth-grade school tucked into the Union County countryside, two long-standing traditions continue to connect students, families, and neighboring communities year after year. One tradition stretches back more than seven decades. The other has welcomed generations of families into the school for decades. Together, they reflect the spirit of a school where community still plays a central role in education.

Superintendent and Principal Jordan Suits describes Lick Creek as a small school that enjoys doing big things for its students and community. With about 123 students in the building, the staff works closely together to create experiences that students remember long after they leave the school.

Two of the most beloved events are the annual Lick Creek Invitational Track Meet and the school’s Grandparents’ Day celebration.

The Lick Creek Invitational Track Meet is now entering its 73rd year. Held each spring—usually on a Friday in late April—the event brings together elementary students from several small schools across the region, including Dongola, Anna-Jonesboro, Cobden, Century, Bunkum, Cypress, Vienna, and others.

The meet focuses on students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Visiting schools bring competitors, while Lick Creek’s own elementary students cheer on their classmates if they are not competing. Events include relay races, the 100-meter dash, the softball throw, and the long jump.

At the end of the day, ribbons are awarded to individual participants, and a trophy recognizes the school with the highest overall score.

Organizing the event requires teamwork from the entire school. Teachers supervise events, staff members record scores, and older students help run results between stations so totals can be calculated. The day also brings families together from across the region, with visitors arriving early to claim their spots around the field. 4th Grade teacher, Crystal Knueven, described the atmosphere simply as “exciting” and “fun,” adding that for generations, students have looked forward to the event every year.

The school’s concession stand helps keep everyone fueled throughout the day with breakfast items early in the morning and lunch foods later in the afternoon. The Booster Club and the Beta Club also sell items such as ice cream and slushies, with proceeds going back to the Clubs.

Kindergarten teacher, Candie Glover, explained, “When the track meet first started back in the 1950s, it was really a community potluck,” she said. “Families would bring dishes to share, and they’d set up long rows of tables in the gym so everyone could eat together. It was a big gathering for the whole community.”

While the track meet brings neighboring schools together, another cherished tradition focuses on family connections.

Each spring, Lick Creek hosts a two-day Grandparents’ Day celebration that welcomes hundreds of grandparents and family members into the school. Because the building cannot accommodate everyone at once, the event is held over two days—usually a Thursday and Friday in March or April—allowing families to choose the day that works best for them.

On each day, about 250 guests gather in the gymnasium for a special program presented by students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The performance includes songs, speaking parts, and sometimes selections from the school’s choir or band.

The gym is decorated with student artwork, poems, and table decorations created by the children. In past years, students wrote acrostic poems about grandparents that were displayed throughout the room, and other years have featured handmade placemats designed during art class.

After the program, students and their grandparents share a traditional lunch prepared by the cafeteria staff. The meal often includes baked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, corn, hot rolls, and dessert.

Junior high students help serve the meal, making sure guests are taken care of while younger students enjoy time with their grandparents. Families can also take photos together at a special photo booth, with digital images shared afterward so grandparents and families can keep the pictures.

The entire celebration is organized by the school staff, who coordinate decorations, meals, and the many details required to welcome hundreds of guests. 3rd Grade teacher Spencer Cox summed up the spirit of the day simply: it’s “not about us—it’s about the school.”

Together, the Lick Creek Invitational and Grandparents’ Day reflect what makes the school special. Both traditions bring students, families, and communities together in ways that strengthen connections and create lasting memories for generations of Lick Creek families.