Posted on 02/25/2013 7:44:57 PM PST by Lorianne
The first clue is a sign "Fresh Eggs for Sale" in front of the school. There is a sheep pen on the baseball field and the sounds of farm animals greet pupils every morning.
This is not your ordinary elementary school. It is the Walton Rural Life Center, a kindergarten-through-fourth grade charter school in rural Kansas that uses agriculture to teach students about math, science, economics - and responsibility.
The farm theme is so popular that the center has a waiting list to enroll and has given the town of Walton, population 235, a boost, said Mayor Evan Johnson.
"It's been a priority for us and a source of pride," Johnson said.
Students take turns each week feeding chickens, sheep, pigs and cattle. They wash and sell the eggs, make yarn from sheep wool and raise pigs for market - with pork coming back to the school for meals. They also raise vegetables for school snacks.
"The kids love it, and they are learning," said Principal Natise Vogt, pointing to better test scores as one example.
At a time when many small towns struggle to keep their schools open due to shrinking enrollment, Walton is turning students away for lack of space. In 2007, enrollment dipped to around 100, putting the school at risk of closing, Vogt said. But the school has 168 students today.
(Excerpt) Read more at uk.reuters.com ...
Great idea!
For inner city schools they should have marksmanship training in the lower grades, so when the little ones grow up to be gang bangers, maybe they will more accurately shoot other gang bangers, instead of innocent bystanders.
When the SHTF, these kids may grow up and be very much in demand. We are losing our knowledge in the most basic of skills.
Hmmmmm .... makes you think how people were literate before there were government schools.
I remember when all rural schools had an Agri class in which everything from working animals to welding were taught.
I've never welded animals, but I have branded.
Welding and forge is for steel and iron. Working animals is for branding and cutting nuts out of pigs, branding cattle, cutting tails off sheep.
Today’s kids miss all the real work and never learn where their food comes from.
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