MIDWAY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Students in Woodford County Schools recently started a new school year. They're back in class working hard and becoming better citizens -- but they have no idea how those skills will carry into Midway's community this year.
At an assembly, the school’s principal, Scott Hundley, says, "Can we solve problems around here? Remember that because I’m gonna ask for your help in a little bit. We can do hard things around here...so the mayor is gonna have a problem that she needs us to solve."
Students at Northside Elementary School walked into an assembly where they got a big request from Midway's mayor, Stacy Thurman.
During the assembly, she says, "I have an idea, could you and your students do some research perhaps about Midway? And talk to some of our community members and go on some field trips and maybe explore some of the great things in Midway?"
This year, these students will work on a project called 'Saddle Up Midway.' Each grade level has its own assignments, including the city's railroads, museums, parks, businesses, and government. They will study their assignment, learn more about their city's community, and create a website with its research and history. Those websites will be turned into QR codes that will be displayed across Midway.
Mayor Thurman says, "I think that they're showing the kids that those partnerships are just gonna continue on throughout their adulthood, and that's something that they should always be focused on, thinking of, and it's gonna teach them to be life-long learners."
Principal Hundley says the world is changing, which means the way kids learn has to change too.
"So what are we doing to give our kids an opportunity? Not just to...as when we grew up, to recite and give the definition to something. We need to give them opportunities to apply their knowledge,” says Hundley.
The project reflects Woodford County Schools’ 'Portrait of a Learner,' which includes challenging kids to be contributors. Mr. Hundley says it's about asking how more people can get involved in education.
Hundley says, "Research says that students do better when their families are involved in their educational process, and so with that, that's what we wanna do. We wanna bring in, we want parents and community members involved in this, and we wanna make this a wonderful experience for our kids."
