Students at Sister Lakes Elementary School got a chance to break the rules a little Friday.

Normally instructed at the start of the day to remove any hats before the first bell, many kids proudly marched through the halls that day, their heads adorned with baseball caps, beanies, straw hats and even sombreros on full display.

While normally considered a flagrant violation of school policy, on Friday the students’ actions brought nothing but smiles to the faces of teachers and administrators who witnessed them.

The school held its first ever Hat Day last week, where any student who brought in a dollar or more would be allowed to wear a hat throughout the rest of the day. In all, students donated over $250 to participate in the event, with the money going toward the family of one of their classmates who had recently lost all his possession after his house was burned down in a fire in late April, said fifth-grade teacher Alicia Stout.

After hearing about the tragedy that befell her student, Stout asked the rest of the classroom help come up with a way to help some money for him and his family, she said.

“I wanted the students to learn empathy, and how to help out a classmate when they’re in a time of need,” Stout said.

Passing around ideas like doing a bake sale or doing something related to his favorite color, one of the students asked if he could do something related to the student’s love of baseball caps, Stout said.

“He wears a hat every morning before school starts,” Stout said. “He puts it back on as soon as he leaves in the afternoon.”

After clearing the idea with the administration and the recipient’s family, Stout and her class began spreading the word about the upcoming fundraiser with students throughout the building. Parents, upon hearing about the event through their children, responded strongly to the idea as well, Stout said.

When the big day came to ahead on Friday, the hatted Sister Lakes students came out in force, showing lots of generosity toward their hat-loving classmate and his family, Stout said.

“The kids weren’t just bringing in a dollar, they were bringing in $5, $10 and $20 bills,” she said.

More than just the money they’ve donated, the outward display of support from his classmates has lifted the sprits of the recipient while he continues to deal with the loss of his home, Stout said.

While this is the first time that many of the school’s students have had to deal with the fallout of such a traumatic event for one of their classmates, the way they have rallied in support shows the how tightknit not just the school, but the entire Sister Lakes community, is during these situations, Stout said.

“It’s amazing what kids are capable of doing, and how willing they are to help out their classmates when they need it,” Stout said.