By: Jasmine Velazquez
El Monte City School District (EMCSD) kicked off its first Enrichment Friday last month with the Robots & You theme and a successful outcome of joyful students. These optional school days offer students unique opportunities to explore themes outside the traditional classroom environment. With six Enrichment Fridays planned this year, students can dive into hands-on activities, discover new interests, and connect with others in a creative, relaxed setting.
Enrichment Friday debuted on November 1st. Students learned how robotics are part of their everyday lives and the benefits of automation. They then spent the rest of the day participating in various robotic activities, designing their ideal robot, playing indoor and outdoor interactive engineering-themed games, and conducting live science experiments for a fully immersive educational experience.
Students even built their own Spider-Bot, a mechanical robotic spider, and learned how gears and power can make it move. They even got to keep the Spider-Bot as a token of their achievement. Durfee 7th grader Ricardo P. praised the day: “It felt like a day camp with a lot of fun and a lot of learning!” Fellow 7th grader Emiliano P. thinks students should always attend, “Students should come because, personally, it was a lot of fun, and they showed you a lot of really cool things that you have never seen before.”
The on-campus experiences were major hits; students were taught how to create electrical currents and artificially make clouds, spawning a new appreciation for science.
Enrichment Fridays aren’t just about learning but also about sparking curiosity. 4th grader Emma B. from Rio Vista shared their excitement about robotics, saying, “I learned how to make a light bulb shine by just using clay [and a battery], something that I never knew before.”
Activities are not limited to school campuses. 5th-grade students who signed up for Enrichment Friday took study trips to different technological and science-based museums throughout Southern California. From the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, students were immersed in technological history. Every Enrichment Friday will feature grade-level field trips to museums and institutes that align with their day’s theme.
Roughly 1,000 students attended Enrichment Friday despite it being hosted the day after Halloween and competing with the Dodgers World Series Parade. The district initially had about 1,500 students signed up for the day but expected a dropoff due to the holiday and local events.
Excitement is building for EMCSD’s second Enrichment Friday, scheduled for Friday, January 31st. The theme will revolve around music and art worldwide, featuring music creation, dance, and cultural appreciation for South American, Asian, and African art forms. 3rd graders will attend study trips to the Grammy Museum, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and other locations around Los Angeles County. Registration for the January 31st Enrichment Friday is now open; the application deadline is Wednesday, December 18th. Parents can check with their school for more information.
