First Grade Family Visitors Share Real World Lessons

As part of the first grade Student of the Week program, relatives of students in Judy Rubertino`s class are invited to share a special talent, expertise, or activity. In addition to enhancing Hawken`s family-oriented culture and instilling pride in the child being celebrated, this particular aspect of the program enables students to engage in hands-on learning experiences, real world application, and exposure to the world beyond the classroom. Dr. Lawrence J. Singerman, MD, FACS, grandfather of Serena Singerman-Brudner and retinal surgeon, presented an engaging lesson on the eye. In addition to sharing with the children how to care for their eyes to avoid sports injuires, he brought a model of the human eye, enabling students to get a close-up look at what the eye looks like from the inside. Sammi Fremont`s uncle of Classic Toy Company in Cleveland shared how his company designs and makes stuffed animals. The students learned about the process from the beginning, viewing original sketches of designs which are then sent to China to be sewn before being imported to America to be stuffed and distributed. The children were excited to learn that many of the animals distributed by his company are displayed at Cedar Point, and they appreciated the stuffed cheetah he donated for the students` animal study. Mark Fremont, Sammi`s father, modeled the career of an architect by making a blueprint of 1R. After explaining his approach to his work, he returned for 3 consecutive days to build a "mini model" of 1R. The students participated in replicating all areas of the classroom in the creation of a 3D model, which included mini models of students and teachers. The lesson proved to be a valuable hands-on supplement to the students` study of geometry. By welcoming members of the extended Hawken community to share their knowledge and expertise, students are exposed to real world applications that make learning more relevant, meaningful, and most of all, fun!