Grade 3 Students Explore School History at Simon House

As the new school year gets underway, Grade 3 students took a special trip to the Simon House, a cornerstone of King’s history, as part of their social studies curriculum focusing on communities. The visit brought their classroom lessons to life, giving students the chance to see firsthand how stories, artifacts, and traditions shape their shared community. 

To prepare for the visit, early classroom lessons focused on different types of communities, including bee colonies, lion prides, construction sites, and workplaces. Teachers Ellen Eagleton and Samantha Clark spoke with the students about the school's history. 

During their Simon House visit, the students met with archivist and former teacher Cathy Mishkin in the Cooper Room. Students carried signs with significant King milestone years and worked to line up in chronological order as Mishkin discussed the school's history. During the discussion, students had the opportunity to study various items from King’s archive, including yearbooks, uniforms, and photos.

Over the course of the lesson, students began to see how the work of different people over time — teachers, students, and families — contributed to building the community they know today. 

“‘What makes a community?’ is our driving question,” said Eagleton. “The history of the school is important as we explore this idea, to gain a sense of what different jobs and roles are within our community and how they contribute to the whole.”

In the weeks ahead, students will continue their inquiry by practicing letter writing and interview skills before selecting a member of the King community to interview. Each student will then write a letter summarizing what they learned about that person’s role at King. Later this fall, the unit will expand to include lessons on Jackie Robinson and his connection to the school’s campus through the Simon family — bringing history and community together.