Spring Hill Explores Pumpkin Patch with 4H

Spring Hill Elementary’s ACCESS students had fun with pumpkins with the help of Fayette County 4H. ACCESS is a program within Exceptional Children’s Services focused on developing independent functioning and life skills.

ACCESS teacher Julia Raniere’s class partnered with Fayette County 4H to bring lessons into an adapted curriculum class. This is the first time 4H has worked with an adapted curriculum classroom, and Cara Rhoad from Fayette County 4H partnered with a professor and a group of students from UGA in developing lessons.

For a fun activity, the class was transformed into a pumpkin patch. Students had popsicle sticks that represented money, and they were able to buy decorations for their pumpkin. The activity incorporated money management, community skills that modeled a store, and social skills as the students had to communicate and select preferred decorations.

“We wanted the students to gain more knowledge on ‘store’ experiences such as using money management skills and social skills to buy and locate preferred items,” said Raniere.