On Thursday, second graders enjoyed our first field trip of the year, a visit toToni's Kitchen in Montclair. Prior to our trip, students enjoyed listening to and discussing the picture book Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan. All three classes walked together to Toni's Kitchen. Upon arrival, students took tours of the kitchen and storage areas, learned about how Toni's Kitchen prepares nutritious meals for its guests, and participated in several service projects. Children worked together to pack toiletry bags, fill bags with rice, and set tables for guests. The trip not only previews our town study later in the year, but is also a springboard to help us dive into our first core work, Those Shoes, and discuss the important concept of needs vs. wants. Students used technology tools to take photos and document our trip, so that we can refer to our learning during upcoming social studies units. Many thanks to our parent chaperones for accompanying us our our first fantastic field trip.