For One Week Only…The Laurel Street Project
By debramonroe on Feb 13, 2012 with Comments 4
Alex Wu, Kristin Wu, Allie Vick, Alex Vick, Heidi Umber, Susie Vick, Sara Umber
A rather ingenious school project is now on display through Saturday at U.S. Bank: a model of Laurel Street. Gasp…it looks like children actually made it! (As opposed to parents …need the LSS say more).
Brittan Acres Teacher Heidi Umber assigned the project to her class of second and third graders. Last year, the class focused on the history of San Francisco. This year, they studied San Carlos history. Hence the 3-D model of Laurel Street…from San Carlos Ave. to Arroyo.
To pull it off, each student did about three store models. Very clever use of materials….painted straws to look like clay tiles; a champagne cork for the heating element of an outdoor heater at Spassos.
The model is not without a bit of commentary. There’s the hundred dollar bill stuck to Prairie. Umm. The LSS suspects some little artist has heard mommy say a thing or two about the prices at the boutique. (No twenty dollar bills outside establishments serving expensive glasses of wine, though).
Filed Under: Businesses • Column 1
Hi Debra!
Thanks for the post. OMG – love the $100 bill – too funny! Great job, kids!
I miss your posts – hope all is well.
Melanie
As per your suggestion, here is the email I sent you yesterday:
Hi Debra.
Your article on Heidi Umber’s class project was brought to my attention, and I enjoyed reading it until I came to the last paragraph, in which you characterize a child’s work as containing commentary re. high prices at Prairie. To be honest, I’ve never shopped at Prairie, but I do know it is the business of a past Brittan Acres parent who has been a longtime, very generous supporter of our San Carlos public schools.
I am uncomfortable with two aspects of this piece:
1. It takes advantage of a local child’s work to further an opinion of an adult– an opinion that is unrelated to the goals of the project, which include teaching children about their local community, measurement, mapping to scale, and modeling.
2. It publicly characterizes a local business in a negative light– one whose proprietor has been supportive of our children’s education. By all means, I think we ought to be encouraging our community to shop locally!
I just also learned that this article was posted on Facebook, which would be great news for our downtown community and Brittan Acres, were it not for the last paragraph. I wonder if there is anything you might do to remove that portion of the piece, either on your blog, or on the Facebook posting, or both?
Sincerely,
John Triska
Principal, Brittan Acres School
San Carlos School District
Omg! Nice article. I remember Mrs. Umber. Thumbs up.
Irene…Mrs. Umber deserves much credit for assigning such a creative project!