Second-grade students at Greene County Elementary School were recently rewarded with a memorable field trip to Atlanta after meeting academic, attendance, behavior, and effort goals set by their teachers.
The experience — appropriately named Curious Kids — was fully funded by Tom and Kathy Kelly, who requested that participating students earn the opportunity by making positive choices and demonstrating dedication to learning.
To qualify for the Curious Kids trip, students were required to:
• Maintain passing grades in all subjects with no missing work;
• Have no more than three excused or unexcused absences.
• Receive no minor or major write-ups or office referrals for behavior; and
“They are reminding each other of the expectations. They are really working hard in class on classwork, and participation is up. More students are taking accountability for their behavior,” second-grade team lead Carolyn Cunningham said in the days leading up to the trip.
Forty-one students met every requirement to earn the trip. Seventeen family members also attended as chaperones, joining their children for both the museum visit and a special Atlanta lunch experience at The Varsity — with everything provided at no cost to participating families.
Students spent the morning at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, where they explored hands-on exhibits, played in imaginative learning spaces, and participated in a science experiment.
“My children worked hard to earn the trip and were proud of themselves,” said parent RokQuail Johnson, who also attended. “They loved playing in the kitchen area and on the farm, and they were really entertained the whole time. Sometimes you get rewarded for working hard.”
Adding to the celebration, students and staff wore custom fieldtrip Tshirts designed by GCES fourth-grader Alexa Palacios Villatoro, who created the artwork with support from art teacher Leigh Hearn.
During the bus ride home, GCES Assistant Principal Dr. Chris Booz interviewed students about their experience. Every student awarded the museum a five-star rating, with several enthusiastically calling it “one million out of five.”
Reviews of The Varsity were more mixed, as students noted the famously long lines.
The Curious Kids trip celebrated student success and reinforced the positive choices that Greene County Tigers strive to make each day. For the students who earned it, the experience offered not only fun but pride in the hard work that got them there.