(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools, October 23, 2021)
Normal school-year activities are returning to the classrooms at the Allen County Primary Center (ACPC). Last week, a fun fall activity---similar to what students experience each October---brought behind-masks smiles, laughter, and energizing enthusiasm to the hallways at ACPC. Students in the House of Isibindi pod learned about pumpkins, enjoyed hallway games, and visited a pumpkin patch---an on-site pumpkin patch.
“Each year kindergarten and first grade students learn about pumpkins in a week-long unit,” explained first grade teacher Jenna Birge. “We use books such as Pumpkin Jack, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, and the non-fiction book Pumpkins; to help students learn about pumpkins and their life cycle. Before COVID hit, at the end of the units, we usually would visit a local pumpkin patch to complete our learning.”
The pandemic prevented any field trips last year and is still limiting off-campus trips for ACPC this fall. However, the reality of the moment did not prevent students from enjoying a fun-filled day to conclude their study unit.
“With COVID limiting our field trip possibilities, the House of Isibindi figured out a way to still give students that field trip feel while staying on campus.” Birge explained. “With help from local pumpkin growers, we worked out a delivery of over 275 pumpkins to ACPC to help create our own Isibindi Pumpkin Patch.”
Last Thursday, students spent the day completing their pumpkin learning with lessons in math, reading, and writing,” Birge added. “Students also visited a virtual pumpkin patch using a Google document.”
The days’ plans called for the students to travel to the front lawn of the school and visit the “pumpkin patch” where several fun activities were planned.
“Activities for our pumpkin patch field trip were Apple Math, Pumpkin Toss, Pumpkin Relay Races, and more,” Birge explained. “We collaborated with the Allen County Public Library with Amanda Woods coming to read stories to the students as they rotated through the pumpkin patch. One of the stops was to pick-out a pumpkin to take home.”
With the threat of rain looming, the pumpkin patch activities were moved inside. Still, the Isibindi students enjoyed relay races in the hallways, a bean-bag toss, photo opportunities, a story from Woods, and the opportunity to “pick” their own carry-home pumpkin from the pumpkin room, In nearby classrooms, students on their Chromebooks and laptops participated in math learning activities centered on pumpkins and a science hands-on activity in which students created their personal pumpkin snacks---pumpkin pie in a cup and an apple slush.