Berlin Elementary’s special day gives community a chance to teach
Ursula Bennett of Guggisberg Cheese hands out cheese samples as part of Guggisberg Cheese’s visit to Community Day at Berlin Elementary. This was one of four local organizations and businesses to visit during the day.
Last year Berlin Elementary hosted a series of community days that introduced students to several area businesses and organizations in the community.
It was received so well the school kept it rolling this year, and on Monday, Dec. 16, four new groups came in to speak to the students and provide demonstrations.
“We try to find interesting partners in the community who are excited about coming in and sharing with the kids,” Berlin Elementary Principal Darren Blochlinger said. “It’s important for our kids to get an idea of the various businesses and organizations that play a role in the community in which they live. It’s fun to connect the community with the school because they go hand-in-hand.”
Blochlinger said community service is a big part of what drives Holmes County, and what better time to introduce the important role community service plays than to the elementary students?
This marks the first of four times these community members will come to the school this year, and according to Blochlinger, it is part of the rubric for becoming a Lighthouse School, which is part of the Leader in Me program.
Leader in Me is designed to help schools and districts build leadership and life skills in students and staff members by creating a high-trust culture and accelerating academic achievement. Blochlinger said the program has been in place several years, and it is an important part of what the school wants to accomplish in teaching. The children not only do the educational part of growing up, but also learn how to integrate themselves into the community and work with others while building up their character.
“I have a staff leadership team and a student leadership team, and one of the goals of Leader in Me is bringing the community in to connect with the kids,” Blochlinger said. “We live in such a great community that thrives on community service, so we didn’t have any problem finding people to come in and speak with the kids.”
The four different sessions included a trio of members from the Triple Nickel 555 Honors Detachment who shared about serving in the Armed Forces; Kyle and Ursula Bennett of Guggisberg Cheese, who shared about cheesemaking; Jarrod and Eric Bickel of Bickel Concrete, who had the kids join them in creating some decorative concrete stones for the school’s landscaping; and Janessa Hill and Ella Lorentz of Ohio State University Extension Holmes County, who dove into nutrition with the students.
For the visiting community volunteers, it was all about giving back and educating the students about their respective impact on the community.
“It’s cool to be able to convey that while college is great, there are other opportunities for kids to explore as possible future jobs in our community,” Jarrod Bickel said. “There’s a lot of trades available to young people today, and we wanted to introduce them to one of them.”
The Bennetts talked all things cheese and took the kids through the process of cheesemaking, and along with it came plenty of great questions from the kids.
“We look at this as a great way to contribute to educating the kids and sharing what we do with them,” Kyle Bennett said. “This is a neat way to tie some of our local businesses together to let the kids know what is out there. And who knows? Eventually, some of these kids may be seeking employment as summer jobs or down the road full-time employment.”
The Triple Nickel members included veterans Chuck Dudley, Coast Guard; Nevin Nussbaum, Army; and Brian Grossjean, Army.
The three men held the interest of the kids by discussing their roles in the Armed Forces and then offered a presentation of the 13 folds of the U.S. flag and what each fold represents.
The extension duo provided plenty of hands-on work for the kids, with all four sessions creating an avenue of sharing insight into the community.
“We had a great experience last year, and this is going to be a tradition,” Blochlinger said. “By doing this four times this year, eventually, each of our kids will get to experience all four of the sessions.”
The experience was one that got the students out of the classroom setting and into one that creates memorable moments when teaching extends into the community.