After a year of remote learning, Kenwood fifth graders were able to participate in a field trip. Wanting to provide a version of the Fifth Grade Camp experience lost to COVID this past fall, teachers reached out to the Bowling Green Parks & Rec Department to explore options.
Kenwood students were the first to experience Fifth Grade “Day” Camp, spending the day at City Park. While not the full experience of a weeklong camp, students spent the day rotating through sessions led by Parks and Recreation staff members. Crim and Conneaut classes will have similar experiences at later dates.
“This past school year has been a challenge for our students, teachers, administrators, and community. I’m happy that we were able to play a small role in supporting some of our youngest community members by providing them this learning opportunity. It’s so important that we continue to support our schools in any way that we can,” Mayor Mike Aspacher said.
Fifth Grade “Day” Camp is the most recent example of partnerships between the City and Bowling Green Schools. At the return of in person learning, the city converted a small section of City Park to allow for smoother traffic flow at Conneaut Elementary during drop off and pick up.
Parks and Rec also provided the use and set up of a large inflatable screen for the school’s socially distanced movie night held on the football field. Currently, Parks & Rec Director Kristin Otley is coordinating with the High School and Middle School Choirs to provide the use of Needle Hall Stage as the location of their spring concert.
“We are happy to be able to help the schools, especially in ways that can help our kids get back into some of the activities that they’ve missed out on. Just as the parks were essential to the community during the early days of the pandemic, they continue to be an essential part of the community’s recovery,” Otley said.
