A kindergarten class walked into a room full of snakes last week and what did they do? They ran around trying to see every reptile they could spot!
Upward Kindergarten Teacher Deborah Jones took her class on their annual Community Field Trip. Each year, the field trip allows her students to see the several different career possibilities in their community. On Thursday, January 26th, they got to see the hot kitchen of Fatz Cafe, the scaly creatures of Serpentarium Magic, and the back rooms of an Ingles supermarket.
Fatz Cafe often works with Upward Elementary School for their Community Field Trips, showing the students what it takes to run a restaurant, from cooking and preparing the food, to ordering and organizing the ingredients.
After being treated to a meal at Fatz Cafe, Jones’ students went straight to Serpentarium Magic in Mills River, which has 220 different animals on display, including snakes, turtles, iguanas, and spiders.
When the class walked into the room and saw all the different snakes, several students got excited and ran towards them. Some students, like As Arianna, were a bit nervous at first. While walking with her group of friends, she said, “I’m scared,” and grabbed her teacher’s hand.
A massive herd of students went straight to the turtle. As they held their fingers up against the glass, the turtle snapped at them and all the students giggled with excitement.
The staff at Serpentarium Magic brought out stepping-stools for the students so the short kindergarteners could check out all the snakes on shelves above their heads.
Pauola made a great observation and said “Mira! Esta comiendo porque tiene su cabeza en la agua!”or “Look! This snake is eating because it has it’s head in the water!”
After viewing all the snakes on the first and second floor, students sat down to see a small show by Serpentarium Magic. The instructor took out three snakes and let the children feel their scaly-smooth skin. The last snake that was displayed had two heads, each head fully functional and independent.
The kids then asked questions including everything from, “Why does the snake have two heads?” to “Do you have any poisonous snakes?”
The excited students thanked the staff at Serpentarium Magic as they loaded onto their bus, which took them next to the Ingles at Mills River. The managers took students behind the scenes where they could see storage rooms, freezers, and prep areas where the staff members prepare food. The students were encouraged to try new fruits and vegetables with their closest friends.
So much more than free snacks and a reptile lesson, Jones said the Community Field Trip for kindergarten students is “an opportunity (for students) to learn about their community.”
(Written by Alex Ramirez, Public Information Office Intern, HCPS.)