ETCC Walking Path
Through the eyes of the children

The children of Walnut Grove Learning Center were fortunate to witness the making of the Community Center walking path.  The hustle and bustle of big machinery outside our windows was just too much to ignore.

Mrs. Hawkins:  Listen…
AJ:  Vroooommmm…
Mrs. Hawkins: What makes that sound?
AJ:  Tractors and rolling stuff.  They are making the walking path.
Jacob:  A new walking park.
Addison:  It looks like a road.
Trenton:  Is the walking path going to be done in a minute?
Reaghan:  We could draw the path.
Trenton:  Hey!  We could draw the equipment.

That is all we needed to hear!  We gathered our pens, paper, and clipboards and headed outside.  We situated ourselves on the back steps and let our ears and eyes take in all that was happening around us.

Sam:  I see a big truck.
Jacob:  It pours concrete on the ground.
Megan G.:  Here comes another one.  It’s big and long.
Ava:  It has big wheels.
Jude:  A dump truck.
Reaghan:  What’s going to dump out?
AJ:  Nothing, it’s just putting steam.
Amelia:  I think it’s something warm.  It    makes things hot or something cause it’s making more steam.
Lindi:  That machine heats up the stuff.
Jude:  When it gets too much dirt it turns to steam in the dump truck.

As the children continued to talk, they were offered paper and pen to represent their thoughts.  Their drawings were amazing.  So much so, that we asked the men who were working if they could join the children to answer a few questions.  Monty, the president of the asphalt company, gladly joined the children on the steps where he answered questions, looked at drawings, and told us about the specific equipment being used.  He even invited us to get a closer look at the paver and the roller, and even sit upon the roller!  It was an experience like no other!