Colonial Village Faire enjoyed by LTESMS students

Some lessons in school can carry forward into life lessons teaching the student both the material new to their minds as well as accessing their innate skills. This year for the first time the fifth grade at Lake Tahoe Environmental Science Magnet School in Meyers, California had just such an opportunity.

It was not a long planned project. Coming into fruition just in the past week. Teacher Mr. Comlossy developed the idea to have a Colonial Village Faire to teach the students about history, commerce, math, natural resources, and community. Teaming up with Mrs. Preston, the 64 students were tasked with developing a product or service that existing in Colonial America, researching that trade, ware, good and then setting up a stall or stand today to have items to sell to the school mates from other grades. All currency was in Pounds, and shoppers and staff were then given paper money to purchase goods or services from the 5th graders. The multi purpose room was turned into a village square with student desks as stalls. Costumed 5th graders attempted to ply their potential customer with words and better deals than neighboring stalls.

It was really an amazing array of goods......some truly lovely looking baked goods, teas, tisanes, herbs, produce, corn, pens, quills, books, fabric, animal hides and masonry services among many other options were available. Teachers were wearing colonial attire and spoke in proper English among the villagers. After the goods were consumed, the merchants then had cash in hand to spend at a community auction where items of import were sold to the highest bidder. Such fine items as a compass, livestock, food and land were auctioned with superb auctioneer skills by Mr. Comlossy.

I just happened to be in the room setting up a book swap, and it made my heart glad to see such passion from both the students and teachers. I thought "this is what learning should look like". Hands on, fully engulfed in the lesson. I saw costumed students that had researched and written in perfect calligraphy for their Tea Stand. Others embraced the old world technology and had baskets and bonnets aplenty. The boys in farmer suspenders with bushels of corn to sell. The masons with aprons and mortar mixing to the old recipes. Not only an appreciation of our collective technological history was learned but there was the salesmanship skills and the class only benefited as a whole from diverse skills and wares. The adorable Kindergarteners with their chance to pick goods independently from each other was precious. Some flocked to the baked goods, others were drawn to books to use their newfound reading skills.......I marveled at the energy in the room, it really was electric when the auction began. Shopkeepers with fresh money to spend on new to them goods and how would they choose, what would become to pricey for most?

The lessons on commerce continue next week as they analzye their bidding and goods desired. It is such a pleasure to see that spark in Mr. Comlossy's eyes and the students as they learn together, both new material and how to improve a lesson and where the lesson leads to new subject matter is priceless. My only regret is that my son will never have Mr. Comlossy as a teacher, since he is retiring and this is his last week heading a classroom, I can only hope that LTUSD finds a way to utilize his passion and skills in the future as a retiree working for benefits or consulting on new curriculum innovation. I am confident that my son will have amazing teachers and their passions will lead to lessons that incorporate more than the tested curriculum requirements. Life is full of curves and angles and not all of them come from a rectangular screen or book! Today I witnessed history that came alive for those 64 students. I am sure their parents were pushed to the limits to gather goods and garments befitting the era, but know the labor was not in vain!!!

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