A reader in a recent letter to the editor made some outrageous and inaccurate comments about our kindergarten students' educational outing to San Diego Harbor, stating that “sightseeing” was a waste of district funds, and that our students should stay in the classroom to learn.
Edison Elementary is a Title I (low-income) school in City Heights. A challenge that kindergarten teachers face at our school is that many of our students enter school without preschool experience and with very little knowledge; it is difficult for them to make connections to text and often find themselves at a loss for ideas about which to write and talk.
A significant part of the Kindergarten Social Studies curriculum is community, and many of our students simply do not leave their neighborhoods. They know only their very small community of family, friends and school.
They will, however, be studying communities and civilizations on a much greater scale in higher grades, so a solid understanding of their own community and their place in it is necessary.
Last year, as part of the National Board Certification process, Sarah Groves, one of Edison's kindergarten teachers, developed the Kindergarten Enrichment Program to provide underprivileged students with engaging, meaningful experiences about which to discuss, read and write. All activities are specifically designed to meet science, social studies, English-language development, reading and writing standards. In researching and developing this program, Groves realized that there are several free or donated field trips throughout the community.
She, along with her colleagues, integrated the field trips into kindergarten curriculum. Each month, students, accompanied by teachers and parent chaperones, venture into the community or have a community member visit their classrooms. By exploring their community together, students' enthusiasm for learning and parents' interest in their child's education increase. Conversations that would not otherwise happen at home begin to take place.
One outing was a community walk from school to visit the local fire station, bank, post office and public library. We also walked to a pizzeria. Teachers used this experience to introduce students to procedural writing such as “How to Make a Pizza.” Through a grant, students had the opportunity to explore the Discovery Center and see an IMAX movie about California at the Fleet Science Center. Students investigated different land forms at Stelzer Park and Chollas Lake as part of their Earth science studies. Students visited the San Diego Zoo after learning how to classify animal groups by their characteristics. Students observed and experienced different modes of transportation (social studies standard) on a ferry ride across San Diego Bay.
Lastly, students planted radish seeds and grew them to maturity in order to compete at the Del Mar Fair. In addition to the outings, many community members have generously donated their time to enrich our students' schema. Nurses from the United Nurses Association of California came to the classroom to talk about their profession and about staying healthy. Darla Bebrin, a local painter, give students painting lessons. A pianist and tuba player from KJOS presented a classroom “concert” for our students.
While these activities do cut into normal classroom instructional time, all are linked to several state standards across the curriculum. These experiences provide opportunities for students to apply their academic knowledge to real life.
The Kindergarten Enrichment Program provides students with authentic situations in which to use the English language, gives them new ideas for their writing, develops a broader base of experiences to connect to texts, leaves them with a strong understanding of people's roles in the community as well as their place in it – and for many students, inspires hopes for future careers.
Don't worry, taxpayers – no district funds are used for these trips. For the specific field trip disputed by the reader, San Diego Harbor Excursions generously donated more than $800 in tickets to our students. To cover the cost of transportation for field trips, kindergarten teachers and parents do monthly fundraisers. Entrance fees and costs for other field trips are donated by the organizations themselves.
The reader's “that's just a part of life” attitude toward the underprivileged students in our city is disappointing. Such attitudes lack compassion and a vision of equitable education for all.
