July 28, 2003
Education
This winter and spring the Society provided instruction on Westport history to third graders at the Westport Elementary School. Andrea Powning went to the school on two occasions in January and February and discussed town history with the children, and with great success. She produced a small booklet on the town's history that the children might keep, and had them address postcards to themselves that she subsequently mailed them to reinforce their recollections of her visit. In early May the children came down to the Bell School in six groups of about 30 children, and Barbara Moss demonstrated items from our collection that they could touch and handle. Andrea was there as well, and at the end of the visit she gave the children a small snack of miniature cornmeal muffins and apple cider. It was a cheerful experience to see the children enthusiastically involved in the activity, and we are most grateful to Andrea and Barbara for making it possible.
In late April a group of 22 students, second graders from the Paul Cuffee Charter School in Providence, came to Westport for a visit. They went first to the Quaker Meeting House on Main Rd., with its memorial to Paul Cuffee. There Sharon Wypych, our Administrative Assistant, told them about Cuffee and the Quakers. Rosalind Wiggins, author of the book Captain Paul Cuffe’s Logs and Letters, 1808-1817, spoke to the children about Cuffee and showed them his grave. They then came to the Bell School where they learned about schools in the 19th century.
We hope that these field trips may become annual events, and are delighted that our volunteers are willing to undertake this pleasant and important activity.