There has been a lot going on in Portland’s Elementary Schools in the last few months, so I thought I would catch y’all up.
The entire 2nd grade of a Parkrose school has committed to weekly walks in a neighborhood park. Now, lately the weather has been a little less than desirable. But one class has prevailed. The past few weeks they have proudly marched on the soggy or frozen paths in the park, laughing and patting themselves on the back for being “hard core”. As they walk, you can hear their battle cry… “Do we walk in the rain? YES!; Do we walk in the snow? YES!; Do we walk in the wind? YES!; How about the sun? YES!” With only an occasional, “my legs are tired.”
All the way across town, a group of kids sit down to work on a project in an after-school program. The assignment is a little mind blowing; design your own city. The students decide what they think is necessary to have in their small city and then sketch it out on butcher paper. One bright student surprised me by asking “What if I don’t want cars in my city? Can I design a city with out cars?”. Another student asked for black paper. Why, I asked. For the volcano, they replied. Of course, a volcano.
Starbucks came through with some fabulous coffee donations. Students and teachers across the district are looking forward to some nicer weather. We, coordinators, are getting everything set up for February, the month that we teach Child Passenger Safety with Trauma Nurses Talk Tough to Kinder and 1st graders. At awards assemblies across the city, student are being recognized for their efforts to be active and healthy with a growing new campaign, “The Quest for the Golden Sneaker.”
The next generation of environmentally conscious and healthy travelers are learning and growing in Portland’s public school districts.
