Town builders: kindergartners and first graders at the Chilmark School.
Mark Alan Lovewell

What's in a Town? Chilmark School Kids Show the Way

Chilmark, the sprawling town of 19 square miles, was boiled down to the size of a classroom on Thursday morning.

Chilmark, the sprawling town of 19 square miles, was boiled down to the size of a classroom on Thursday morning when kindergartners and first graders of the Chilmark school presented their collaborative diorama of town landmarks.

Linked through a series of geographically accurate roads, albeit made out of paper, the dioramas were created by students over the course of two weeks. Students chose the landmarks themselves based on their favorite places to go within the town and places they would recommend to a friend or visitor who has never seen the town. Each of the landmarks was accompanied by a little-known fact, adding another dimension to the three-dimensional structures.

The tour of the town launched from Chilmark Chocolates, built by kindergartner Juniper Begin because, as she said, “I just love chocolate.”

Continuing down State Road, past the police station, the Chilmark Store, school and library, the tour landed on a sturdy replica of the Chilmark Community Church — complete with toilet paper-roll Greek columns and a cardboard steeple.

“I like the church because it’s delicate and pretty. And I like the shape of it,” said first-grader Finn Moriarty. “And because Edgartown sold the church to Chilmark in 1827.”

Following Menemsha Road and hanging a left onto North Road, the tour ended on the waterfront with a full display of Menemsha, including the harbormaster, fish house, Texaco and the ocean, with a replica of the beach made by first grader Hudson Wike.

“I live close to the water and I sometimes walk over to it,” he said. “I see a lot of types of sharks there.”

“But they’re not scary,” he assured, pointing to the cardboard cut-out of a lemon shark, yellow with two dorsal fins, swimming in the water just off the jetty. “See?”

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 11/22/2019 - 19:17

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Judith O’Donoghue Oak Bluffs

The K-1 teacher in Chilmark is Ellen Rossi in case anyone is wondering who the teacher behind this amazing project is

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 11/23/2019 - 12:03

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Judith O'Donoghue Oak Bluffs

And Education Support Professional, Fallon Pullford!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 11/24/2019 - 19:03

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Jennifer Merry Kennebunkport, Me

As an art teacher w 35 years in the profession, projects like these are the best! History, science, architecture, art & education of important town businesses incorporated into lessons. Proud of you Ellen Rossi!

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