LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Mud Hens outing a win for education

Washington Local Schools’ Monac Elementary students cheer the Toledo Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field during an outing with other fourth graders from the area.

The writer of the May 18 Readers’ Forum letter “Students at game missed more class” was completely — to further the baseball theme — off base.

All school districts in Ohio are required to submit a plan that accounts for calamity day makeups. Blizzard bags were allowed to account only for part of the missing instruction time last winter.

School districts canceled professional development days, shortened spring breaks, added minutes to the school day, and even extended their school year in some cases to accommodate lost instruction time.

As a former fifth grade math teacher at Whittier Elementary School, I used a Mud Hens game as a way to engage my students in division and multiplication. Attending the game brought real life to math, as they figured out batting averages, earned run averages, won-lost percentages, and slugging and on-base percentages. For many of my students, it was their only opportunity to attend a professional athletic event.

In a district such as Toledo Public Schools, where many students qualify for free or reduced lunches, attending this event is a dream come true.

It wasn’t just a day to eat hot dogs and miss class. The field trip accounted for only four hours out of the school day.

I would guess that most schools celebrate the end of the year with picnics, field days, trips to the Toledo Zoo, and other special events. The trip to the Mud Hens is not any different.

LYNN PEARSON

Westbrook Drive

Editor’s note: The writer is principal at Crossgates Elementary School in Toledo.