Kindergartener thrills his classmates

CLINTON TOWNSHIP - A Clintondale kindergarten student entertained his classmates and teachers during a pop-up party intended to celebrate graduating fifth graders who are moving on to middle school in the fall.

Matteo Lopez, a kindergarten student in Carol Hampton's class at Rainbow Elementary School, was prompted by his principal, Cara Cottrell-Booms, to show his moves to the students during the outdoor celebration on Friday afternoon.

As Michael Jackson’s disco-funk hit “Beat It” began to play in the background, Lopez stepped into the middle of a circle formed by students. He was quickly joined in the circle by Lori Ringstad, who demonstrated her own dancing skills.

Ringstad, who has served in the district since 1998, is a speech-language pathologist and an early childhood special education coordinator at Rainbow.

But the performance was definitely all about Matteo, who was cheered by classmates, and at the end of the song, some older students picked him up and carried him around on their shoulders.