Above: Kindergarteners got to experience picking pumpkins to take home, petting farm animals and jumping on the trampoline during their EE STARS funded field trip to Swans Trail Farm in October.
EE STARS was able to largely fund our kindergarteners’ visit to Swans Trail Farm in October to study pumpkins, making them the first students of our school to experience a field trip this year. Our organization was able to fund $910.73 out of the total cost of $1254.99 resulting in EE STARS donations covering 72% of this grant request. Without this funding and parent/guardian chaperones contributing the cost of their own admission, the pumpkin field trip would have cost families $25 to $30 per student instead of $5.
During this field trip, kindergarteners saw their plant life cycle science curriculum come to life by experiencing pumpkins growing in their natural environment. The trip gave students a multi-sensory learning experience and served as a springboard for their first formal art lesson. Back in the classroom, the kindergarteners will learn about line work and oil pastels as they create pumpkin artwork. In addition to visiting the farm, students were able to bring home any pumpkin they chose as long as they could carry it on their own.
Marti Miller, EE Kindergarten teacher, highlighted the importance of this type of experience in making learning even more memorable and building on classroom instruction.
“It creates a real bonding, with a shared experienced where everybody is having fun.“ — Marti Miller, EE Kindergarten teacher
Thank you for continuing to support EE STARS so that opportunities like hands on learning and field trips make concepts more memorable for our students.
Did you know: supporting interactive learning opportunities is easier than ever, especially if you shop online! EE STARS is now part of the AmazonSmile program. To participate, just go to smile.amazon.com/charitylists, or tap “Charity Lists” on the “Gifting, Registry & Charity” menu in the Amazon Shopping app on your mobile phone. Select Edmonds Elementary Stars Foundation as your charity of choice and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to help fund this kind of engaging classroom experience year-round!