Building a Strong Start at Abraham Lincoln Elementary

A strong school year is built one challenge, one conversation and one creative idea at a time.

On only the second day of school, students in Meredith Richardson’s classroom at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School were already putting those ideas into action. Working in teams and using a limited selection of materials, students were challenged to construct the tallest and strongest barn they could.

The activity connected with Abraham Lincoln Elementary’s farm theme, but its purpose reached far beyond constructing a model. Students had to share ideas, listen to their classmates and work together to solve problems—building relationships while practicing skills they will use throughout the school year and beyond.

“We are building barns today because our theme here at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School is the farm,” Richardson said. “Together, my students are being collaborative communicators and resilient problem solvers.”

With the school year just beginning, the project gave students an engaging way to become comfortable working alongside their new classmates. Each group had to decide how best to use its limited resources while balancing two goals: height and strength.

“It’s only the second day of school, so this is an awesome way for them to build relationships and learn how to communicate with each other while also working on real-life problems,” Richardson said.

LaRue County Schools Superintendent Adryanne Warren praised Richardson for bringing the district’s Learner Profile into the classroom from the very beginning of the year.

“Thank you to Ms. Richardson for jumping right in at the beginning of the school year and applying those Learner Profile skills—resilient problem solver and collaborative communicator,” Warren said. “This is what I’m talking about when we Live to Learn here in LaRue County.”

The barns may have been built with limited materials, but the skills behind them will form a strong foundation for the months ahead. From communication and collaboration to creativity and perseverance, Abraham Lincoln Elementary students are already showing what learning can look like when they are given a problem and empowered to find a solution.

As Warren put it, “It’s a great day to be a Hawk.”