Students reach out and read at Kagel Elementary School

By Christopher Hernandez and Martia Hunt

Messmer’s first pen pal education field trip took place on February 26th 2008. The exchange was with high school Spanish students and Kagel Elementary students.

Over a dozen high school students traveled to Kagel Elementary School located at 12th Mineral on Milwaukee’s Southside. Both sides took part in the exchange to interact in a foreign language, and they even got experience some Mexican food tasting.

Ms. Cristina Edgar organized and set up the trip weeks before for her third hour Spanish III class. We want to “let students from each school meet and share language and skills.” In preparation students from high school translated common children’s books into Spanish, which they read to the younger kids.

After arriving at the elementary school, the teens were greeted with a song in Spanish. Students were then divided into groups that shared storybooks and fairy tales. Afterwards, a lunch of tortillas, salsa, beans, Mexican drink and chorizo were served to teachers and students. This time allowed for students to interact and share a more complete sense of the culture.

Senor Christina Harvey described this experience as, “A moment and trip I’ll never forget.” These words defiantly were in the minds of high school student after leaving the elementary school. At the end of the day students said their goodbyes and planned to meet again.