Natick Johnson School Students Begin Journey To Uncover The Past

Press release from Natick Public Schools:

01/26/2024

The faces of the second, third and fourth grade students at the Johnson School Legacy Project kickoff event on the morning of January 16 were full of anticipation for their future discoveries. While it can be challenging to imagine life before 2024 even when reading a historical news article or story, there’s no doubt that hearing from folks who experienced life as a Johnson elementary school student many decades ago had significant impact on these students.

The five-month-long student learning project is managed by Charleen Belcher, Library Media Specialist at Johnson, and Grace Magley, Director, Digital & Personalized Learning. Belcher remarked on the rare opportunity the current Johnson students had to reach future generations by encapsulating memories of a place that was so special to so many. The project is truly project-based-learning in action: students will ask alumni and experts questions about Johnson’s past—in many cases in live interviews--and compile their learnings. The school has been part of the fabric of Natick for 75 years as of this year.

The five-month-long student learning project is managed by Charleen Belcher, Library Media Specialist at Johnson, and Grace Magley, Director, Digital & Personalized Learning. Belcher remarked on the rare opportunity the current Johnson students had to reach future generations by encapsulating memories of a place that was so special to so many. The project is truly project-based-learning in action: students will ask alumni and experts questions about Johnson’s past—in many cases in live interviews--and compile their learnings. The school has been part of the fabric of Natick for 75 years as of this year.

Lemon, who graduated from Johnson nine years ago, appeared on screen remote from her college dorm room. She shared how she fondly remembers time spent learning about the lifecycle of chickens in truly hands on fashion when her Johnson class watched chicks hatch from eggs. As she was speaking, she remarked that a pin that she received from a Peacemakers event was beside her in her room.

John Murphy, who went to the Johnson School from 1955 to 1960, echoed Lemon’s statements when he said, “The relationships you have here are all amazing.”

They looked awestruck when they learned that not only did Murphy have a 50-minute lunch period, but that he could walk home for lunch and then return to school afterwards.

Both Lemon and Belcher spoke about how there were so many things to still learn about Johnson’s past and to commemorate for others. Belcher said that a guiding prompt to steer students’ inquiry-based learning was to think about “questions you don’t know the answers to.”

This press release was produced by Natick Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.