PS 183Q Kindergartners Visit RISE
By S. C. Samoy, RISE Director of Operations & Communications
A raucous, joyous noise filled the former firehouse on Rockaway Beach Boulevard on Wednesday morning. Kindergartners from P.S. 183Q Dr. Richard R. Green School poured into RISE (Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity). Alana Danieu, RISE programs manager, greeted the teacher, Tawny Millard, and the twelve students at the door. “Hi, Alana!” said Adrianna, Amadeus, Evonni, Jaymie, Josiah, Journee, Juhzari, Kailynn, Keneira, Lamir, Sebastian, and Zoey in unison.
The children made themselves at home, hanging their winter coats on chairbacks, unloading their lunch boxes on the tables, and sitting comfortably while Danieu welcomed them and presented a PowerPoint on the big screen about Guyanese fishing and net knitting, one of RISE’s Living Classroom programs, sponsored in part by New York City Cultural Affairs. Afterward, the kids learned to tie special knots and cast a net into a blow-up pool of blue, turquoise, and white plastic balls and green fish. Only Millard caught a fish, which she christened “Charlie.”
By the jumps, smiles, spins, stretches, dances, and exclamation of “Thank you, Alana!” it is safe to say that the field trip was a highlight of their day, as it was for the staff at RISE.
