ICC board’s not ready yet to show anybody the money

By Marlene McTigue

Capital Region Independent Media

RAVENA —Students from the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District’s (RCS) Summer Discovery Camp were treated recently to a unique hands-on STEM experience at Holcim US’s Ravena plant.

The students visited the limestone quarry, where they learned how cement is made and the machinery – including large-scale loaders and haulers – is used to extract the resources critical to that process.

RCS Instructional Coach Melinda White led the group along with Holcim Quarry Manager Brian Soeffing.

“Our students got to experience earth-moving machines firsthand,” said White. “First, we were led into the main building where we all received PPE (hard hats, vests, protective goggles), put it on, and listened to Brian talk about quarry safety,” White said. “We then rode our school bus out into the quarry where students got to climb aboard both a loader and a hauler and see firsthand how they work to lift and dump heavy loads of stone.”

That wasn’t all the students learned.

“The guys who worked there also told the students about their jobs and what they entail,” she said. “When we finished in the quarry, they had us back inside and fed us chicken wings, all the pizza we could eat, and ice cream. It was called the ‘Best day EVER’ by several students, and one even wore her hard hat to her dentist appointment later that afternoon! I think that says it all.”

The visit to the Holcim plant aimed to expand the children’s knowledge of forces and movement, White said.

“My course topic is ‘The Forces That Move Us’ and we’d been exploring the scientific principles and forces that enable ships, aircraft, and vehicles to move and do what they do,” she said. “When it came to planning a field trip to learn about vehicles I thought, ‘what better place to observe forces moving mammoth vehicles than our local quarry?’After meeting quarry manager Brian Soeffing last fall, I knew he was also interested in fostering a connection between Holcim and RCS.”

Making the educational experience fun was another component to the day of learning.

“We are hoping the kids are going to have a lot of fun here today. If you’re having fun while you’re learning, there’s nothing better,” Soeffing said. 

And fun they had! Richard Dinovo, 9, of Selkirk, said Discovery Camp has been really fun, especially because of the field trips and experiments.

“Going to the airport was really fun, but this trip is the most fun. I think when I grow up, I’d probably like to work at a quarry or be Bob the Builder,” Richard said. 

RCS’s Summer Discovery Camp runs for four weeks and is free to eligible students. Now in its third and final year, the camp provides a fun experience for young people while also preventing summer vacation learning loss. Supported by federal pandemic relief funds, the camp employs Process Based Learning (PBL) methods to help all students excel and succeed, according to organizers.