Klager summer school students explore the businesses downtown

Summer school kids on a mission ready to learn more about business in Manchester!

submitted by Melissa Yekulis

After six weeks of hard work learning more about reading and math, the Klager Summer School students ended their last week of learning doing project-based learning activities.

One of the highlights of the experience was traveling into downtown Manchester to learn about the businesses that support the community, and how they use math and reading in their jobs. The children learned about the history of their community and one-room schoolhouses at The Manchester Historical Society. They learned how reading, math, and technology are used to make shirts at Steele Grafix. The group was treated to a tour of Ollie’s Pizza and learned how pizza is made. A brief stop was made at the park after Ollie’s so they could enjoy the pizza treat that was made for them.

After that, the children went to Worth Repeating, where they learned about donations. Each child was given the opportunity to pick out a new shirt to wear at the start of the school year. This visit was followed by a stop at the Flower Garden. The children learned about fluffing flowers and how to use the color wheel to create floral arrangements. They were each allowed to pick out two flowers to take home.

A stop at the Flower Garden would not be complete without a visit to the Vintage Flea. The children learned about collectibles and vintage glass. They were treated to a free book and popcorn before they left. Their final visit was to the River Raisin Antiques and Mercantile, where the children learned about the economics of small businesses. Each child was given a new pencil for the new school year at the end of their visit.

On the return trip, the children were asked which business was their favorite. They enthusiastically shouted, “ALL OF THEM!” and walked back to the school talking about what they would like to be when they grow up.

The Klager Elementary Summer School Program is funded with Title 1 funds from the State of Michigan. The teachers and children would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to all the businesses who generously donated their time and talents to make the end of the program a memorable success.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.