The 1st grade group presented their Community Helpers play to a packed audience of family, friends, and their 5th grade “Bigs” at the end of October. Let’s give a round of applause to our performers on their first of many public speaking opportunities at CDS! They even presented an encore performance to our local kindergarten friends from First Scott’s and Little School.  

Parent Visitors in the Classroom

In the weeks leading up to the performance, the group learned about the types of communities and the people who live, work, play, and solve problems in each one. Parent guests spoke to the students about a wide variety of careers and experiences through individual visits to the classroom, which sparked curiosity about different jobs.

Musicians, medical professionals, farmers, and business managers are just a few of the career fields represented this year. In addition to explaining some of the day to day responsibilities of each job, the visitors often highlighted the importance of working as a team. They also discussed how many skills from their time at school are used in their jobs every day.

The classroom guests helped children imagine how they might contribute to their community when they grow up.

A Walk to First Citizens Bank

One off-campus experience during the community helpers unit was a walking field trip to First Citizens Bank. The students learned about the history of First Citizens Bank, the different jobs you can have within the bank, and why banks are important. The bank tellers discussed opening an account, earning money to deposit into the account, and how to withdrawal money from it. The students enjoyed shopping for a new car and learning about borrowing money to help pay for it.  They made a “pinky promise” to pay back what they owe with interest, of course!

The Community Helpers Unit fosters appreciation, respect, and awareness of the interdependence within a community. Much like the communities where we live, 1st graders can apply the same lessons of appreciation and respect to their classroom community! This unit is a meaningful tradition at CDS because it reinforces the school’s values of empathy, teamwork, and active citizenship from an early age. Read about more CDS traditions here.