Manchester, Essex Students Learn About Maritime Flags Through Collaboration with Cape Ann Museum

Superintendent Pam Beaudoin, Essex Elementary Principal Sheila McAdams and Manchester Memorial Principal John Willis share that Kindergarten students recently learned about maritime flags through a partnership with Cape Ann Museum.

Cathy Kelly, the Museum’s Education Director, visited classrooms from Oct. 9-13 to teach students about the importance of maritime communications through lessons that connected Cape Ann’s history, literacy, and art.

Students identified letters associated with each symbol, deciphered messages from their shapes and symbols, and learned about a time before cell phones and radio transmissions.

With that knowledge, students created messages and designed their own maritime flag.

“The students’ excitement was full of joy and wonder when Mrs. Kelly taught the class about the maritime flags,” said Claudette Yutkins, a District art teacher who collaborated with Kelly on the lessons. “They couldn’t wait to make their own and share with the class what their flag represents. One student said her flag means, ‘Come on over and play hide and seek.’”

This collaboration experience is one of many fostered with local organizations. Through enriching, authentic learning experiences, students realize the connections between classwork and the many rich resources that exist in the community. Frequently, these connections offer expanded audiences, raising the challenges and investment of our students.

“I love seeing the children from last year and them saying hello,” Kelly said. ”I love building those relationships.”

The District maintains a number of strong partnerships with local organizations that help enrich student learning. For example, Manchester Essex students created art on Plexiglas that provided a view of their world. Their works were displayed during the recent Museum exhibition on the works of artists Edward Hopper and Jo Nivison Hopper.