The Importance of Community at Grass Lake School

Returning to school for teachers is like preparing for the Olympics. There is all the behind the scenes work and effort during the summer preparing and updating curriculum, reclaiming classrooms for this year's new group of students, as well as trying to carve out some time to marinate new ideas and approaches. The teachers at Grass Lake School returned to the building with three years of experience working Project Based Learning into their instructional world. This long-term commitment from the board of education has prompted many new ways for both teachers and students to learn and experience learning. This year was no different.

This year has been called the “Year of Community” at Grass Lake School. Connections were established in the spring for students and teachers to seek ways to connect outside of the confines of the school building. Efforts to educate the community on what PBL is and why it’s important turned into the first day of the school teacher institute that looked a little different from the rest. It began with a student-led tour by eighth grader Jacob Cromwell on a school bus touring the neighborhoods that feed into the school. Jacob shared interesting highlights from the past as well as the importance of understanding that Grass Lake School is on an island and water is a big deal. The tour then switched guides and headed to downtown Antioch. Tour guide Stan Livermore shared the past, present and future of the Village of Antioch. The tour made a stop at the Antioch Historical Society, a walk through the newly completed Sequoit Park and a tour of behind the scenes of PM&L Theatre. The bus tour continued with another guide, Barb Porch, the chamber director. Teachers were then directed to the Port of Blarney for a luncheon and a boat tour of the lakes. The day concluded with a brainstorming session to generate ideas for ways to use the community as an opportunity to explore and expand the curriculum while integrating resources in the neighborhood.