Students unite to share hope
In blue in center, third grader Alice Kendall carries a flag to represent Israel in Fernan STEM Academy's third through fifth grade parade to celebrate the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Friday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
In center, Lizzie King, a third grader at Fernan STEM Academy in Coeur d'Alene, holds up a poster to represent Austria in the school's parade to welcome the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Friday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Kindergartners wave to third through fifth graders as they paraded through Fernan STEM Academy to celebrate the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Friday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
On right, third grader Brody Morgan holds up the school sign for the third through fifth grade parade at Fernan STEM Academy to celebrate the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Friday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
From left, fourth graders Tristan Tullis and Parker Clement represent Spain in Fernan STEM Academy's parade to celebrate the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Friday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Cheers filled the halls of Fernan STEM Academy elementary school in Coeur d’Alene.
Third through fifth graders, carrying posters representing flags of countries all over the world, paraded through the building to welcome the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing on Friday.
Younger classes lined up, yelling and waving to the older students.
“It was really fun,” said fourth-grader Paisley Lapp. “It was really cool.”
Misti Ruchi, a third grade teacher, said the teachers decided to get the classes together for a project to celebrate the Olympics and learn how it unites the people of the world.
“A common theme we found is hope and we wanted to spread that to the community,” Ruchi said. “We just thought this would be a great way to engage the kids.”
The students were divided into groups to focus on a country, and later shared the information learned with the rest of the school.
Paisley said she enjoyed learning about the different food, climate, geography, transportation and other things about her country, Poland.
“We learned a lot about our countries,” Paisley said. “A lot of cool facts that we didn’t know before.”
Fourth-grader Archer Harris said he enjoyed learning about his country’s culture, traditions and history.
“We worked together,” Paisley said. “Everyone worked together really well as a team on all of our projects.”
The students were required to present the information they learned, with a choice of sharing about their country through sculpture, PowerPoint presentations, slideshows, posters, pamphlets or more.
“It was phenomenal,” Ruchi said. “All of them really deeply understood their country and had great knowledge, and presented their knowledge in a way that others could learn.”
Heather Mangini, a third grade teacher, said many of her students told her it was their first time presenting in front of a large group, or that they were nervous but did it anyway.
“It was cool because they felt like they had a purpose for doing their projects and they’re learning,” Mangini said. “They were proud of them and got to show them off.”
“It was fun to watch the older classes kind of mentor and be able to teach the younger classes in our school,” Ruchi said. “We have lots of compliments from the other classes.”
Ruchi said they originally planned to parade at Pacifica Senior Living to spread joy to the seniors, but construction around the building caused safety concerns.
Instead, the students created posters, letters and notes with inspirational sayings of hope and joy which were dropped off at the assisted living facility after school.
“Hope was a word that kept coming up, that the Olympics bring to people, especially in this time we are all going through right now,” Ruchi said. “Our school, I feel, has never been united like that before.”
