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Field Elementary students take an adventure in learning and life.
Students at Field Elementary School know a lot more about drinking water than most kids their age. The school sits in the shadow of the largest water treatment facility in the state of Kentucky and both entities have been in the Crescent Hill neighborhood for over 100 years.
The Crescent Hill Water Treatment Plant first started pumping water in 1909. Field opened its doors to students in September of 1915. These longtime neighbors first formed a special partnership in 1987.
“We were just starting to dabble in the world of community engagement and working with the students and staff at Field was a natural first step,” said Community Relations Specialist Barbara Crow, a longtime member of Louisville Water’s communications team.
Teachers at Field helped develop some of the original programming that Louisville Water educators bring to thousands of students every year. Louisville Pure Tap® and water company mascot Tapper are also staples at dozens of special events held throughout the school year.
Louisville Water hopes to showcase a virtual reality project created by some Field students in the WaterWorks Museum at Louisville Water Tower.
Last spring, 4th and 5th grade members of the school’s technology team had a special request from Louisville Water. Field Family Resource Coordinator Kevin Knochenmus said the team wanted to know more about how Louisville Pure Tap® is cleaned and delivered. For the annual Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) statewide competition, the tech team wanted to explain the process using virtual reality (VR) technology.
The school had the equipment but needed help with the cost of renewing the software license. Louisville Water’s Executive Leadership Team approved $1200 to renew the license.
“We’re proud to support these talented students,” said Kelley Dearing Smith, Vice President of Communications and Marketing. “Their interest in drinking water and technology is a cool combination.”
Three months of hard work followed. With help from Crow, the students learned more about the water treatment process, wrote and revised scripts, recorded the script, and helped edit the final video. For most of the students, learning to fly the drone was the most exciting part of the project but they learned a few other things along the way.
Fourth grader Levi Look said, “Drone pilots need a spotter to make sure they don’t hit birds.”
“I want to work with water and technology. I loved learning about how the water got moved around,” shared fifth grader Leo Middletown.
The project got fifth grader Hadley Frakes to thinking, “I didn’t know about VR, I thought it was just a game, it made me want to be a voice actor.”
It was a life lesson for fifth grader Henley Daines.
“I learned how to cooperate and work with my team, the water company and Mr. Victor.”
Daines is talking about Victor Darrigrandi, the Kammerer Middle School librarian and tech expert who taught the kids how to fly the drone.
The team’s least favorite things? Deadlines and editing. The students worked on the project for months and had to pare the final project down to just three minutes.
Two thousand schools entered projects at the state STLP competition in Lexington. Field’s tech team made it to the finals and then disaster struck.
They were in a judging room that had a large garage door. It opened in the middle of their presentation, and everything blew off the table including the VR equipment. Judges gave the team three minutes to put everything back together but the video kept freezing. The students, who thought they had a good shot at the title, were understandably upset and disappointed.
“Things happen and you have to deal with it. The kids did great work, and this was just another life lesson,” said Knochenmus.
Louisville Water is looking forward to another great year of classroom lessons and adventures with Field students, teachers, and families. Field Principal Deb Rivera says Louisville Water is a positive force at the school and in the neighborhood.
“When we call, they come. It could be our annual fundraiser, a back-to-school event, graduation celebration or the generous support of the Crescent Hill employees who bring a truckload of gifts to school families in need during the holidays. We couldn’t ask for a better neighbor.”
