Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRONWOOD THIRD grader John Balchik holds "Rosie the Chicken" that he was helping show to other Ironwood students as part of a 4-H demonstration on Tuesday.
IRONWOOD - A number of Ironwood students got the chance to see some young farm animals as the Gogebic County 4-H brought a number of animals to the front lawn of the Luther L. Wright School Tuesday.
The district's kindergarten through third-grade classes took turns visiting the trailer that housed baby sheep, pigs, chickens and a rabbit. County 4-H Coordinator Ashley Hampston intentionally chose to bring smaller animals to the school so that students can potentially see how the animals grow and mature by the time the Gogebic County Fair arrives.
"They get to meet the different animals and see them at a small size ... we've been telling them they are going to probably get to see them at the (county) fair," said Hampston. "... We just wanted to make an attempt to show the kids some things they've never seen before."
This year's fair will take place from August 13-16.
Students were told about raising farm animals while they got a chance to pet and handle the animals.
"In the past some of the classes have come to our farm to see the animals. I just figured with so many different grades, I would like to bring some of them to the school so that way (the students) could see them," Hampston said.
Pam Moderson, whose first-grade class was one of the 14 classes to see the animals, praised the opportunity for providing a hands-on experience for the students.
"This is a great opportunity for the students ... to see live animals and hear how they need to be cared for," Moderson said. "... Some of the kids have never had the chance to experience this."
Moderson added that the hands-on component of the demonstration was always good for students and that it might encourage some to become involved with animals.
"It will probably cause some of these little ones to ask mom and dad 'can we become a 4-H member when we are older?'" Moderson said.
Following the time with the animals, the students were taken inside where Megan Martell - the nutrition program instructor for the local Michigan State Extension Office - taught them proper hand-washing techniques.
"We definitely want them to learn (proper technique) at a young age," Martell said. "At schools kids get sick so easily, they spread germs. So the better we get them washing their hands, and the more often, the better we can stop sickness spreading. ... if we get it while they are young then they can have it throughout their lives."
Anyone interested in learning more about 4-H can visit the Bessemer office or contact Hampston at 906-663-4045 or [email protected].
