Equipped with official-looking clipboards and excited grins, Mount Kisco Elementary School second graders recently took a community walking tour through town. The clipboards held a scavenger hunt, directing students to check off specific places, signs, transportation and community workers they saw along the way. The trip tied directly into the second grade unit on Community — and the students’ excitement was electric!
“My tía works there!,” one student said, enthusiastically pointing to a restaurant. “She makes good pizza.”
A few minutes later another student called out, “I get my nails done there!”
A third pointed across the street and yelled “Playdate at my house!”
The students’ first stop on their tour was Town Square where they met with Mayor Gina Picinich as well as a librarian from Mount Kisco Public Library.
“I have a question,” Picinich said to students after they had gathered around the fountain. “Does anyone know if Mount Kisco is a town or a village?”
Students called out answers in both English and Spanish before Picinich delivered a surprising answer.
“Mount Kisco is different than anyplace else in New York,” Picinich told them. “We’re both a town and a village.”
Students gasped in astonishment before Picinich continued, telling them more about the town and what her job entails. They listened closely, asking questions like “How do you become mayor?” when she finished. Afterward, the librarian told them all about the library.
“I’ve been here so many times,” whispered Susan Morales-Aguire. “I love this place. It’s the best place in the world. There are so many books and toys and movies."
After Town Square, students met with police officers and their dog outside of the police station as well Judge Mark Farrell and two firefighters in front of the courthouse. Afterward, they walked back to school where they were met by paramedics and two ambulances.
“I hope the students got to appreciate seeing these amazing community workers in real life!” teacher Jeff Wein said. “It’s one thing to read about them, but another to see them live and in-person. They got a real feel for what they do to serve the community and it will hopefully inspire them to want to serve their community now and in the future.”
