Elizabeth O’Neill knows how to make the perfect cookie.

At DeMello Elementary’s annual Winter Carnival on February 16, the fourth grader could be found at a cookie-decorating station building her dream dessert in a sunflower design, but things didn’t go according to plan.

“I tried to make a sunflower, but there was no brown [frosting,] so I used pink instead and layered it with sprinkles,” she explained as she ate her creation.

Now in its third year, the carnival offers families a fun way to ease into February vacation, said organizer and PTO President Mary Waite.

This year’s carnival featured winter-themed entertainment such as dancing with costumed characters from the Disney’s “Frozen,” face painting, and participating in a snowman-themed relay race.

Waite and about 40 volunteers – parents, PTO members, and DeMello alumni (now in middle and high school) – worked throughout the two-hour event and for months beforehand to make it possible.

The carnival is one of several large events the PTO hosts every year.