A Virtual Visit
Fourth Graders Take a Trip to Hawaii as Part of Annual Trip
Aiden Johnson and Marissa Cacciotti from Pete Harry’s kindergarten class at Myers Elementary had a blast at the virtual trip to Hawaii. It’s a yearly activity that has been a part of the Myers kindergarten experience for three decades.
Aloha! Welcome to the Kindergarten Virtual Hawaii Trip!
Towards the end of the school year the kindergarteners at Myers Elementary School have a themed week, or thematic week, to learn about Hawaii. This year their virtual trip started on May 12th and ended May 16th.
This trip lets kindergarten students have a fun experience while learning. They “go” to Hawaii and learn what culture in Hawaii is like.
The virtual trip has been tradition for over 30years. Two former teachers, Joann Hample and Shirley Henry, brought it to Bellwood-Antis.
The goal of this virtual trip is for students to learn about culture in another state. The teachers try to focus on volcanoes and tsunamis and to have a good time with their kids after a long school year.
Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Geist said, “I like it because it is part play and part academic. There is integration of math and geography, literature, song and dance.”
All week the students did a variety of fun activities.
Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Coho said, “They do a lot of activities. They start off with packing paper suitcases, flying to Hawaii in a pretend airplane where pineapple was served and they saw an inflight movie.”
This virtual experience is created by having all students in rows in Kinderstation with an aisle between as they would in a plane.
“They then make leis, have a presentation, and write postcards to send home,” Mrs. Coho added.
The students also get to see a volcano demonstration, read books, have a big luau with grass skirts and fruit salad. They can go souvenir shopping and then fly home.
The teachers have the virtual Hawaii trip because it’s tradition, a really enjoyable week, and it creates memories.
“It has been a popular staple of the Kindergarten experience at Myers for three decades; a very meaningful learning experience for students,” stated Mrs. Harpster.
