By Cheryl Conway
Second graders at Chester M. Stephens Elementary School in Budd Lake have been hanging out in their community this month for a hands-on experience into the real world.
A favorite program held years ago, Kidsville has returned to CMS for the entire month of May. Every afternoon from 12:50 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., 110 students are living in a mock town with assigned jobs and responsibilities.
The community comes to life for these students who get to experience different jobs like working at a bank, delivering mail, singing and writing songs, reporting on news stories and teaching others.
“It has been exciting opening the doors to our Kidsville Community again,” says Ann M. Scotland, longtime second grade teacher at CMS who was instrumental in bringing the program back to the elementary school.
“Second grade teachers thought that Kidsville would be a great exploration for this time of the year,” says Scotland, adding that it has been about 12 years since the program was offered at CMS. “We all wanted to see how it would play out with new energy and a few tweaks here and there. We liked the name Kidsville… so we kept it.”
Scotland first learned about the program back in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
“My past colleagues had this community set up,” says Scotland. “I loved the idea of it. When I left that school and came to CMS some of my co-workers and I kept it going. Then it stopped for a while. It has changed some since that time, but the core idea is the same.”
Kidsville had basically been replaced by the CMS Kindness Tour, she explains.
“Over the past 11 years, the Kindness Tour took place during the month of May,” says Scotland. “That experience takes a lot of preparation and time. To fit both Kidsville and the Kindness Tour in would be difficult. This year the Kindness Tour was early April, so we were able to have room for this type of exploration.”
Kidsville is a mock community that the students participate in, providing each an opportunity to work at different jobs.
The businesses include a bank; post office in which the mail delivery goes throughout the entire school; general store/factory; architects; newspaper reporters; photographers; recording studio; car-wash; teachers; and land/grounds keeping.
“They have this job for a week and must fulfill the role of this specific duty,” explains Scotland. “Each week they get a $2 paycheck. They go to the “bank” to get their check. The boys and girls endorse their check, place an account number on it, cash it and the money goes in their bank envelope. Before leaving the bank, they have to pay $0.25 in taxes. The remainder of their money is placed in the Kidsville Volt. Their earnings are placed on a Kidsville Debit Card (each child has one) and they use that debit card to shop each Friday afternoon. The following week they have a new job assignment. By the end of the community exploration, they will have worked four jobs each.”
The program is a good fit for second graders, especially at the end of the school year.
“Each grade needs its own personality and something for the children to look forward to,” explains Scotland. “Every team of teachers within our building has special experiences for their students to explore and enjoy. This just happens to be second graders this year.”
The program is a great benefit to the students as it provides them with real life-like experiences.
“The Kidsville teachers actually plan a lesson and go to teach younger peers,” says Scotland. “Songwriters use their story telling in lyrics and actually sing to an audience. Architects plan out form and function, create a blueprint and develop their structures. Mail carriers have the joy of connecting one CMS member to another by sorting and delivering mail throughout our building. Reporters create stories, go on interviews and create a newspaper for our community to enjoy. Each job has its own personality and skills to be used.”
Good Team Equals Positive Results
“I work with very dedicated, talented teachers,” says Scotland. “When we blend all that we can do together it is powerful. It is so much fun listening to the children chatter about all that they are accomplishing in “their town.” All the little personalities taking ownership in this created community makes it a very special place to be.”
When asked what she likes about the program, Scotland says “Everything! I like the collaboration that is needed from the students. The enthusiasm and engagement from all the boys and girls. The learning that is taking place using every bit of our skills that we have exposed them to. There is math, writing, reading, planning, the arts, budgeting, technology, customer service, problem solving, and the gratification of hard work.
“It is hands on and exciting for them,” she continues. “Yes, it is a little noisier than a typical lesson and an outsider looking in might feel the extra energy, but it is healthy movement, and everybody has a part. The community belongs to all of us. It is a perfect celebration of skills to end the year with.”
The program also brings the community in as parent volunteers are invited to come in to help run the school program.
“Each week we have about seven parents that come in during the Kidsville time slot,” says Scotland. “Second grade parents were invited to join us for this experience. Some parents came in for a day or two to assist with a specific job, others come for a specific week and there are others that will be coming for the entire four weeks. It was totally up to them and what they could do. Parents that couldn’t come into the school have donated supplies and materials to assist us. They have been very generous.
“We couldn’t do it without them,” she says. “It is great for the children to see teachers and parents working together.”
