Growing up, did you ever wonder what your parents did for work? What did they do all day while you were at school learning? Luckily for children around the country, an annual tradition held on the fourth Thursday of April is Take Your Child to Work Day.
Take Your Child to Work Day was established in 1993 by Gloria Steinem as a project of the Ms. Foundation. It originally started as Take Your Daughter to Work Day to show young girls that being smart was an accomplishment and not something to hide. By 2003, the program had grown exponentially and expanded its inclusion to young boys to abolish typical gender roles and show them that they as well can follow any career path.
For the past three decades, Montgomery County public schools (MCPS) has participated in Take Your Child to Work Day. Parents around the county are encouraged to bring their child to work with them for a day. The most recent one took place on April 23.
Here at the school, the administration put together a full itinerary for Take Your Child to Work Day. The children were able to choose from the different activities offered each period. First period, the kids could choose from making smoothies in Kristen Daugherity’s nutrition class, or choosing their own adventure in the Media Center, which included Color Me Amazing, Puzzlepalooza, Legos Mania or the Game Zone. Periods two and three included those same options; however, Book Tasting was added, where the kids were encouraged to explore books in the library. “This is my children’s favorite day of the year. They cannot wait to go every year and love going to work for a day, so I really enjoy hosting activities that are interactive for all the kids that come. The kids really seemed to enjoy making smoothies this year,” Daugherity said.
During advisory, the kids were given the opportunity to do an art project and make resin with Arroyo. When fourth period rolled around, the kids were still able to choose their own adventure or book tasting in the Media Center; however, the smoothie making stopped after the third period. Then, during the fifth period/lunch, the main office hosted “Interview an Administrator,” and the National Art Honors Society offered face painting. “The kids seemed to really like it and it was a fun way to let them be active in the building, talk to people, see the art room, meet art students, ask questions and leave with some wearable art,” National Art Honors Society co-president Israel Peterson said.
During the sixth and eighth period, Malinda Pierce’s art class hosted an activity where the kids were able to make pinch pot monsters.
When the kids arrived in the morning, they were given a scavenger hunt to complete throughout the day. The scavenger hunt had nine tasks scattered around the building. During the seventh period, the kids were instructed to finish the tasks of the scavenger hunts they had left. “This was the third or fourth year my youngest daughter came for Take Your Child to Work Day. She really enjoys hanging out with the high schoolers. This year, I know she especially liked making smoothies in nutrition class with the other kids and playing games with some of my students,” AP environmental science teacher James Forsberg said.
