On Oct. 6, the School Committee was treated to a presentation by third and fourth grade members of the newly formed Young Historians Club at Westfield River Elementary School. Their teacher Jennifer Thielen, a member of the Westfield Historical Commission, said the club was designed to make history personal and meaningful, and to celebrate Westfield’s role in the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution — its semi quincentennial, a word her students are learning.
Thielen said the club’s first activity is to help students see themselves as part of history and share their own personal or family pasts to connect them to the broader community theme.
She said by sharing, they actively participate in oral history, just as communities have done for generations. “Your stories matter. History is not just about famous figures,” Thielen said.
She then introduced several of the 20 or more students in the club to share some of their own family history with the School Committee.