Editor’s note: The following letter is in response to the article in last week’s school news section titled “WHS Students Visit Kennedy Space Center.”
It was so refreshing to read about the incredible generosity of the Jacobs family of Wellington and East Aurora, N.Y., for providing the Wellington High School students the opportunity to visit the Kennedy Space Center.
In an era of public school budgets being slashed to the bone and field trips being one of its biggest casualties, how nice it is to see a family like the Jacobs giving back to the community by supporting this field trip at no cost to the school or the school district. The incredible learning opportunity of field trips give students a chance to experience hands-on learning away from the confines of a classroom. As we all look back on our high school experience, without a doubt, it is the field trips that we remember, which, in turn, had some of the greatest impact on who we are today.
Furthermore, as a public school teacher, I am keenly aware of the challenges and opportunities the future holds for high school students. STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs are key to this generation’s success and the future of our country in the global economy. A field trip to the Kennedy Space Center will have an impact on lives long after this is over.
Kudos to the Jacobs family for giving these students this incredible opportunity. May others follow the lead and do the same in their communities in whatever capacity they are able — one school, one student at a time.
Margaret Armendariz
Aiken, S.C.
I am grateful that my child participated in this program.
But quite frankly I feel as if I am a pawn of the Jacobs family and their PR program.
I wish their’s were a sincere effort rather than a marketing progrm.