Second-graders at the giraffe table watch as a preschool student serves an order of goldfish crackers during Springmill STEM Elementary School’s Panda Palace Restaurant. It was only 10 o’clock in the morning but the Panda Palace Restaurant at Springmill STEM Elementary School was bustling with learning and good manners.
Children in preschool through second-grade took turns Tuesday – two classes at a time – alternating as customers and servers in the impromptu café set up in a conference area. Tables were designated as lion, peacock, monkeys and giraffe. The menu options were simple: goldfish crackers, pretzels or animal crackers.
It was based on each class’s reading of “Dinner at the Panda Palace,” a rhyming and counting book by Stephanie Calmenson.
“We decided as a staff to use it for a book study because it offers opportunities for math, science and language arts lessons,” said Meg Strong, math coach at Springmill.
“Dinner at the Panda Palace” begins when two lions show up at Mr. Panda’s restaurant, followed by three pigs and four peacocks. The numbers progress through monkeys, giraffes, hyenas, penguins and bears until a hen and her nine chicks fill the restaurant. Each segment rhymes.
After using
the book for classroom activities centered on academics, principal Regina
Sackman said the staff decided to bring the story to life by creating the Panda
Palace Restaurant.
“It allowed students to have cross-grade level interaction and practice using their manners, while serving and helping one another,” Sackman said.
In a process that was repeated several times, Strong – wearing panda ears and mask – led a class into the “restaurant,” where tables were set up for two to six “customers.” Across the room, Sackman and other teachers were explaining the servers’ role.
The simple menus, attached to tiny clipboards, had pictures of the three offerings – goldfish crackers, pretzels or animal crackers served in brightly colored foil cupcake baking cups. Paper plates were the servers’ trays.
“When you take orders what do you say?” Sackman asked. “May I help you? What would you like today?”
When the diners
were finished the servers returned to the tables to collect the empty cupcake cups
and place them in the trash. Then the two groups switched roles.
By morning’s end each preschool, first- and second-grade class had taken a turn as customers and servers. Politeness and good manners prevailed.
“I think the students enjoyed it,” Sackman said as the final two classes were finishing their turn. “I know they enjoyed the book. And it’s never too early to practice good manners and consideration of others.”
“Dinner at the Panda Palace” concludes when a mouse shows up but the restaurant is filled to capacity. Nonetheless, the panda creates a seat on top of a small trunk where the mouse has dinner. The final line of the book says:
“No matter how many, no matter how few,
There will always be room at the Panda Palace for you.”
The Richland
County Foundation and Mansfield Plumbing helped to provide five copies of the
book for each classroom.