Fifth grader Eliot Fowler offers an account of his first week of school at the United Farmers Market, where some Capt. Albert Stevens students are having lessons while part of their school building is under repair.
Saying the past two years have been bizarre would probably be an understatement. We’ve had one of the largest public health emergencies ever in our history, we’ve been apart with two thirds of our faces covered in a piece of cloth, and we have communicated mostly through our computers. Oh, and also, most of the students from CASS are going to school at the United Farmers Market, also known as Adventure School.
Hi, I’m Eliot. I wrote for The COVID Classroom last year. I must admit, I was pretty much utterly horrified when I heard that we were going to be going to school at the farmers market. I have never been the most flexible person, and making such a change would mean a big shift. But after that, I began to process all of the little silver linings. The farmers market is pretty much in the middle of town, so it’s closer to my parents’ office. Plus, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump to the library and other places that would have been harder to get to during normal school.
The first week was great! I loved having class circles and doing activities and assignments outdoors. It’s been nice being together with all of the fifth grade, because now, we all sit in the same room, instead of in three separate classrooms. The fresh air was really nice, too. We sat at tables instead of desks, and had recess on Steamboat Landing! Every day was exciting, because we would do something new. Most people have been enjoying this new kind of experience and new kind of school.
Next week, I’m looking forward to a field trip to Fort Knox in Prospect, and much more! I really hope that it continues to go as it has, maybe even better, because in my view, it’s gone quite smoothly, especially for such a big change. It’s been great seeing what the creative teachers at our school have been doing to make this fun while helping us learn.