Newbridge students ‘step back in time’

A little boy in a pinstriped vest and suit pants spelt his name with paper cards, each depicting a colonial character contorting his body to make the different letters. First grade student Christopher Goff then tried to emulate the cards with his friends. He bent his knees and put his hands up to try and form the letter “H.”

Goff and his classmates at Newbridge Road Elementary School were immersing themselves in several activities that would be common to children of their age in early America.

Following a visit to Old Bethpage Village, students from three different classes at Newbridge Elementary School learned about what life was like before modern technology. They were grouped by different careers from the past, including tailors, smithies, and hatters. The groups visited six different stations where they spelled their names with traditional letter cards, wrote in cursive with quill pens and played classic games like ball-in-a-cup.

After rotating to the different activities, teachers showed their students how to make butter from scratch. To conclude the event, everyone enjoyed the homemade butter on fresh corn muffins.

“It gives them a real, hands-on experience,” said first grade teacher Linda Brust as she explained how important she feels it is for her students to learn what kids their age did before iPads, computers and video games.

First grade teacher Amanda Schmitd showed her student Jalese Rosa how to use a classic toy called the “Button Whirligig.” She held the little girl’s hands as they pulled a string and watched the button vibrate back and forth. Rosa gave her teacher a grateful hug for showing her how to play with her new toy.

“An activity like this really deepens their sense of history,” said Brust as she assisted her students through the stations.