To the editor:
Five to six hours a day on screens. Fewer than three field trips in three years. How can we get students off their iPads and back to experiential learning? Wellesley Middle School must take action by establishing a student-run clothing store that would raise funding for curriculum-based field trips. This store would not only create a source of sustainable funding for the school, but also would address clothing affordability for families in the community.
Does this sound too ambitious? Think again, because the model has existed right here in Wellesley since 1952. At that time, a clothing store called Shopper’s Corner was established at the Warren Elementary School and later relocated to Schofield Elementary School. This simple business model of reselling donated clothing and accessories has thrived, raising more than $50,000 for the PTO annually and funding zero-cost field trips (no bus or entrance fees) for every Schofield student.
It is widely reported that average Americans spend 7 hours on screens daily but only get outside for 30 minutes. At WMS, the pattern isn’t much different. As screen time has increased, field trips have decreased. Over the last 15 years, students have taken fewer than 3 field trips for their entire WMS experience.
In 2022, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to make it illegal to throw out old clothing. Taking this into consideration, the WMS store would be the perfect solution for the community, giving local residents a place to donate their used clothing, while also fundraising for WMS and re-selling clothes at low prices.
I can’t remember the last time our grade went on a field trip together. But I do still remember pumping water from a well with my second grade class at Sturbridge Village, learning how to start a fire out of scratch at Hale Reservation, and managing money in a mini game with my fifth grade friends at Gillette Stadium. These small moments can’t be replicated by watching a YouTube video, but they are the ones that stand out the most to me.
Why has screen time soared while field trips have gone away? Why wouldn’t we use a model that already exists just down the road at Schofield? Why are WMS students the ones being left inside while other students are experiencing the world beyond the classroom? The School Committee has the authority to change this. Give WMS a space to open a store, open students’ minds and open the door for the community to protect the planet and access affordable clothes. It’s time to power down our iPads and power up our proposal to fund field trips.
Thank you,
Ryan O’Connor
Grade 8 student, WMS
