Cali Pearson flops onto an oversized pillow and swipes a swath of dark brown hair from her face before delving into a book. Even at six-years-old, the King’s Grant Elementary School first-grader appreciates a quiet moment to decompress.
“It’s nice to get away,” Pearson said shyly from her spot on the classroom floor. “I really like to read.”
On any given school day, students like Pearson escape the hustle and bustle of the King’s Grant lunchroom by proudly displaying a yellow pass which grants them access to the rain forest-style oasis that is the Brain Café. Once a resource room, the Brain Café boasts a library of books, puzzles, board games, math manipulatives and other “out-of-the-box” activities that reinforce two important things: learning and fun.
“Classrooms are so focused now on making sure our students are mastering the skills they need that often the fun of learning doesn’t always have time to be a priority,” said Angie Munari, assistant principal at King’s Grant. “We wanted to find a way to allow our students to experiment with learning in fun, innovative ways.”
So Munari focused on carving out a time during the day when students could afford to spend 15 minutes immersed in hands-on activities that support math, science and reading— lunch time. Each day, two students from every class in every grade level are granted a Brain Café pass to use if they finish their lunch early and want to “get away.” The passes are rotated through the classes so everyone gets a turn.
For six-year-old Bill Stetson, the pass is a hot commodity.
“I love it when it’s my turn,” Stetson said. “Doing math with the dominoes is super fun.”
Munari and King’s Grant principal Dr. Sophia Stubblefield initially applied for a grant to fund the Brain Café. When that didn’t come through, the two were not prepared to give up. Instead, they solicited for donations of old furniture, games and more from the King’s Grant community. Putting the special space together became a school-wide initiative and everyone chipped in. One teacher donated a set of puzzles, a volunteer agreed to staff the Café during the lunch hour and the librarian sponsored a book drive that brought in nearly 400 books.
Thus the Café was born.
“The best part is I get to pick what I want to do,” said first-grader Madison McKendree. “Today it’s a puzzle, but next time I will read books.”
And the more students like McKendree want to visit the Brain Café, the more they will learn, Munari said.
“It’s all about the students and helping foster a love of learning,” she said said. “My hope is that everyone who comes through the Brain Café will not only have fun, but be excited about the next time they get to come back.”
Please contact me for a Girl Scout Community Service project regarding the Brain Cafe.
It has come up at our 2nd grade Brownie meetings (Troop #12) and we would like to present a funding option.
757-641-7411 (Tina Preston,Leader Troop 12)
Thank you in advance for your consideration.