Idaho Cowboy Brings Western Spirit to Old Greenwich School

By Michelle Weissler, Greenwich High School class of 2025

Elementary students recently got a taste of the Wild West—right here in Greenwich—thanks to a special guest: Ernie Sites, The Yodeling Cowboy, all the way from Idaho.

The event at Old Greenwich Elementary School, celebrating Children’s Health and Wellness Day, was packed with line dancing, art, and a cowboy who made sure everyone left with a little more “yee-haw” in their step.

The main attraction was a cowboy performer who traveled from Idaho to share stories, songs, and a bit of cowboy culture with the kids, performing along with his wife, Barbra.

“That gives us an opportunity to share the West with the young crowds,” he said. “One of the songs I always really liked to sing is ‘Home on the Range,’ which is older than the hills so nobody knows it anymore.”

Cowboy Ernie Sites explained that events like the one at Old Greenwich School were important to him because he loves sharing his culture with kids—no matter where they live.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s in New York, or if it’s in Idaho, or if it’s in Texas. We all need to hear it. And so that’s my goal, besides, I love the kids,” he said, adding, “It’s exciting for me to be able to share a little piece of Cowboy culture, the Western culture with the young audiences.”

The event was organized to get kids moving and having fun, inspired by a new Connecticut law called Children’s Health and Wellness Day. The theme this year was “Western Cowboy Toy Story,” and it was a hit with the crowd. Kids got to try line dancing and take part in art activities, all while learning about cowboy life.

Ernie Sites was brought to Old Greenwich School as part of Arts for Learning Connecticut – a  Connecticut non-profit with the mission to inspire young people and expand their learning through the arts.

In addition to Dolphin Day, students wore hats for the ‘Hats for Hope’ fundraiser, spearheaded by Carla Lenschow, a Greenwich High School student and Old Greenwich School alumna.

Hats for Hope is a fundraiser throughout Connecticut to raise money for pediatric cancer at Yale Hospital, where students can wear a hat (silly hats, baseball hats, sun hats etc) and bring a dollar; the students raised over $500 for Hats for Hope.