GaWahineS, I understand where you are coming from on the balloon release. I think it is a good idea. Don't get me wrong, I care about our environment and nature. However, there are things we could prevent that happen everyday, but people don't seem to stop those things. I don't think a balloon release one time a year will be bad. I say go for it. The kids will love it too.I will see if I can find any poems to put inside. Good luck on deciding what you want to do.
Do you have a room with really tall ceilings like a gym or cafeteria where you could have your balloon release inside? Maybe tie it to the idea that parents are letting the kids rise to a new level but that they are still protected by the environment of the school. We float balloons as part of our decorations for sock hop in the gym each year, and it looks pretty festive.
Maybe you could fill the balloons with inspirational messages or thoughts and later, when they come back down (end of day or next morning) have a second event with a different group where they pop the balloons and read the messages. (Probably don't want to connect the ideas of two and then have kids stomping on the balloons, which are symbolically the kindergartners).
Some obvious issues to consider: how long will the balloons stay up? Are they going to be descending all day and littering a space that needs to be used by others? If it were our school, our gym teach would probably be up for the idea and find a creative use for the balloons as they returned to the ground.
In Girl Scouts, they have the symbolism of "bridging" as the girl cross over from Brownies to the next Group. (or maybe all groups, I forget).
Anyway, what about something like that - the kids crossing over to the next stage. You could have "babyland, toddlerhood" on one side and kindergarten on the other. The parents could escort them to the new phase of their life.
You could tie it to crossing a bridge, taking a step, passing through a door...
How about a assembly of the students with a color guard to raise the school's American and state flags the first day with everyone saying the pledge and the student council doing something.
