Demonstration school, CMSD

My semester so far in the Cleveland Public Schools has been quite a unique experience. We have had many different experiences within the schools, and met with many different people. Our main focus for the semester is working with 5th and 6th graders at Michael R. White STEM School on nutrition and healthy lifestyle changes. We are planning on taking each of these classes on two field trips to the Case Farm, Squire Valleevue Farm, in October and November. The idea of the field trips is to get the kids excited to learn about where their food comes from, healthy foods, eating foods from the ground, etc. We are working in conjunction with two farm employees, who have been helpful and enthusiastic. Since the seniors last year worked on the fifth grade field trips and cirriculum, we are focusing our efforts on the sixth grade curriculum and lesson plans. This has all been quite a bit of work, and we are all learning to improve our communication and group work skills. It has been especially interesting to be able to really immerse ourselves in the culture of the community as much as possible. We have done this by eating lunch with the students, meeting with community members, and attending and participating in the Student Parent Organization meeting. I am looking forward to the field trips, where we can see our work take shape, as well as see the students be excited about learning new things and having new experiences.

The other aspect of our project has been working along side a CMSD nurse. We have been helping her prepare for OneSight, a program that takes place for the next two weeks that aims to provide free glasses to all CMSD students, aged 8 and up, who are in need. This nurse, Chris, is responsible for prescreening the schools so they know who to send to the bus, and we have been assisting her with this large task. While in the schools, we have had many experiences. To name a few, we have worked with the full time nurses at some of CMSD's medically fragile schools, learned to check for lice, and interacted with the teachers and students of one medically fragile class. I have enjoyed seeing the broad range of what school nurses do, and have been continuously impressed with their work. Being in the Cleveland schools and working so closely with a CMSD nurse has given us insight into both the strengths and struggles of the school district. I have gained a better understanding of the difficulties of the system, and I aim to continue educating myself on this topic. I hope to continue working with Chris in the schools, and to keep learning more about the system and the students.