Paeslie Pruismann earned the honors of throwing a pie in the face of her father Hamilton County Deputy Sheriff Alex Pruismann. The whipped cream facial was a reward for NEH students winning a challenge posed by Deputy Pruismann's Books & Badges program.

BLAIRSBURG — The end of the school year came with an added bonus for the Stratford and Northeast Hamilton Elementary School students — it isn’t everyday you get to pet an Alpaca, race a sheriff’s deputy or plant a cream pie in his kisser.

But that’s the reward earned by the students in the Pre-School, Kindergarten and First through Third Grade classes when they achieved the memory challenge posed by Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Alex Pruismann earlier this year.

Pruismann established the Books & Badges program at both Northeast Hamilton and Stratford elementary schools last winter. He challenged the students to a memorization assignment.

Over the course of the semester, the older students had to be able to remember their own name, the real name of their parent or legal guardian, their home address and at least one adult’s phone number.

In the lower grades, students were required to learn at least two vital statistics.

“This vital information is huge for kids to know in many situations,” said Pruismann, who alternates visits every other Friday with students at Stratford and NEH.

Pruismann developed the Books & Badges program to humanize the badge and to help develop a positive connection between youth and law enforcement.

On Wednesday, the NEH students got to choose which challenge Deputy Pruismann had to endure.

Since it was the last day of school, the students were already participating in their Field Day.  In keeping with the spirit of the day, the First and Second Grade students challenged Deputy Pruismann to a foot race. The only drawback – he had to race them in full dress uniform while they wore shorts and sneakers.

The Pre-K, Kindergarten and Third Grade classes preferred a little more drama, so Pruismann had to endure a whipped cream pie to the face “This was only at NEH,” said Deputy Pruismann. “I don’t want to forget the fantastic staff at Stratford Elementary that also worked with me”.

For their challenge victory celebration in early May, the Stratford students requested a visit by Pruismann and one of his pet Alpacas.

“The Books & Badges program was a huge success in my eyes,” said Pruismann. “I believe the teachers would say the same thing.”

The students looked forward to each visit where Deputy Pruismann would read a law enforcement related children’s book to the class.

“The overall outlook on law enforcement from the kids perspective became a lot more positive,” he said. “I had kids telling me that they wanted to be cops.”

Pruismann measures the program’s success through several achievements, but one stands out.

“I was at my daughter’s spring concert at NEH and a kid who I have in one of the classes introduced me to his parents as ‘My friend, Alex'”,” he explained. “That’s exactly what I want it to be to the kids – a friend they can talk to, go to for help or just wave at and know that they know me.”

While the students made a trusted friend, Pruismann feels he benefited, too.

“I truly believe the goal is accomplished and I have gained a lot of friends doing Books & Badges,” he said.