March 16, 2004 > Weibel Celebrates Cesar Chavez Birthday

by Phyllis Silva,Third Grade Teacher, Weibel Elementary School

Where could you find 150 students playing in the dirt with teacher approval on a school playground? On March 26th, from 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., 150 kindergarten, second, third and fifth grade students will participate in a service - learning project at our school. To commemorate the birthday of Cesar Chavez, we will be working in soil and planting ground cover outside our fence line on Grimmer Blvd. and Paseo Padre.

Why this project and why this man? Students from seven separate classrooms have been engaged in a character education program called "Heads, Hearts and Hands." This is a pilot program with which we have been teaching eight traits; caring, honesty, cultural competence, conflict management/problem solving, responsibility, equity/ fairness and integrity. This project is sponsored by a grant from Alameda County of Education and is closely aligned with the Open Court Reading Program.

Through writing, reading, quotes, role play and classroom activities, students have learned how the previously mentioned eight traits contribute to being a socially responsible citizen. The values and hard work of Cesar Chavez are a model by which students are learning to think outside their immediate environment. Our service learning project is a component of this program, and we selected our project to work in the soil to beautify our school as a tribute to Mr. Chavez.