Students in Lori Lurquin’s third-grade class at Southeast School had the opportunity to see a special sneak peek of the movie “Wonder” before the film was released in theaters.

This summer, Lurquin registered her classroom as a “Wonder Certified Kind Classroom,” and as part of the process, had the opportunity to enter a contest for to allow her entire class to take a field trip to a nearby theater for an exclusive screening of the movie.

Her class won, and on Oct. 26 – weeks before the film was released – they traveled to AMC Ford City 14 to see the movie weeks before it was available to the public.

“It was awesome. We cheered, we laughed, we cried.” Lurquin said. “It truly is going to be something these kids will always remember.”

After winning the contest, Lurquin was unsure if she would be able to take her class because of the cost involved with busing the students to the movie theater. SE Principal Alice Spingola – determined to make the trip happen – then reached out to the EPSD 124 Foundation, which was able to cover the cost for the bus.

Lurquin reads “Wonder” to her classes every year and is a firm believer in the themes of kindness and positivity stressed throughout novel. She believes the book is “a vessel” to share what she believes in “through a book that connects with kids.”

“As a teacher, my most important thing it to teach kids to become good people,” Lurquin continued. “That’s how my classroom is. I expect manners, I expect being kind. I truly believe in it.”