SALAMANCA — The Salamanca K-Kids, a Kiwanis Club program for elementary school students, held a February meeting full of enthusiasm and energy.

Students made special snowmen pins to share with those that help keep the community running smoothly at Salamanca’s municipal building, which are being delivered in March. The Ki-Kids hope the gifts make the city employees smile each time they light up the snowman’s nose.

Afterwards, students completed a task that exhibits the characteristics of a leader. Three groups of five children each had to work together and strategize how to make the longest Valentine’s Day chain in eight minutes. They had to listen to each other, compromise and cooperate to try to make the longest chain that didn’t touch the ground or fall apart.

K-Kids co-advisor Kari Kloss said she heard one of the students say to another, “I love my job. I’m really good at it,” as he tore the tape for his team members to use in connecting the chain that also had to have a pattern.

Some students grouped their chains with patterns of five red, five pink and five white, repeatedly working on their own specific colors and then connecting them. Other groups added one link at a time.

The end result was that 15 students spent time talking with one another, laughing with each other and discovering why teamwork is an effective and efficient way to accomplish a goal and that it can be fun. Co-advisor Michelle Sullivan is already preparing for next month’s task for students since they did such a great job this time.