Fourth Grade

The start of a new school year is the perfect time to reflect on education.  This September, the fourth grade team launched a new multicultural study on education. Fourth graders were asked to think deeply about the diverse ways in which people are educated, both in our community and in the Samburu community.  Students studied the educational journeys of staff at Packer and members of our larger community. We asked students essential questions like, “What kinds of education are important to us?” and “What does this say about our culture?” Students gained an appreciation for the wide range of professions and skills within our community and the diverse ways in which these skills were acquired. Our students connected their new, broader understanding of education to the Samburu community near our sister school, the Ndonyo Wasin Primary school.  Each class studied the educational pathways of the Samburu people in Kenya. Ms. Po and Ms. Davis, who have both visited Kenya, shared their knowledge and experiences with the fourth grade. The classroom teachers read excerpts from Facing the Lion, a memoir of a young nomadic boy’s educational journey. Students had rich debates about education and societal roles within our community and within the Samburu community. These discussions challenged students’ assumptions and helped foster respect for multiple forms of learning within different societies.