Dr. Bryan C. Jack Elementary principal Brett Shelby rollerskates in the gym during school assembly on Friday morning Feb. 1, 2019. Students raised a record $17,700 for their Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser. They were rewarded by seeing their principal rollerskate, their assistant principal Kylie Spears ride a tricycle, and three students who raised the most money got to spray silly string on physical education coach Lisa Snell and assistant coach Jill Redwing. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Students at Dr. Bryan C. Jack Elementary School didn’t just surpass their Jump Rope for Heart fundraising record, they left it so far in the dust that they got a day full of wacky antics to celebrate.

Silly String, a principal on roller skates and an assistant principal riding a tiny tricycle — those were just a few of the sights at Jack on Friday as Principal Brett Shelby rolled into the gym to reveal the students had beaten their $6,000 record, had crushed their initial $10,000 goal and blew away their final goal of $12,500.

Students had raised more than $17,500, with nearly $1,500 coming in since his last update on Thursday.

“Within two weeks the incentives were reached and they just kept giving,” Shelby said.

He credited their success to the initiative students took and their savvy use of social media to get relatives and friends to donate.

Third-grade student Jens Halle, 9, said he spent weeks going around his neighborhood asking for donations. By Friday morning he had raised $637, putting him in the top three fundraisers at the school.

The top earners got a special treat, as they covered their coaches in Silly String in front of the entire school.

Coach Lisa Snell said she was initially hesitant when Shelby said he wanted to set the first goal more than $4,000 above their previous record.

“I told them after they reached (the last incentive at $12,500) that your goal now is just the joy of giving,” Snell said. “I’ve just been really proud of them and told them every day what giving hearts they have and how proud we all are.”

The fundraiser centers around skipping ropes and keeping students active. All the money raised will go to the American Heart Association.

After the morning celebration, students spent part of their day showing off all the jump rope skills they’ve learned over the past few weeks.