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Putnam Elementary School Principal Kaye Jakon buys some ice cream using construction paper money at one of ice cream businesses set up at the library's Ice Cream Social. More photos on page 4. Expanded photo array Wed. night on our FB page: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photo.

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From left: Sara Desjarlais, Sarah Baldwin, Kaye Jakon, Keely Macalister, Meaghan Wakely, Kathy Dunton,  Rafaela Araujo,Cassandra Lavallee.



Learning — gilded in sugar
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — This summer young Putnam students learned about business — a sweet business — ice cream.
Kaye Jakon, Putnam Elementary School principal, said 46 first through fourth graders, took part in “play-based learning” by forming five ice cream companies. They started at the beginning with research and that included going to local ice cream businesses and learning everything they could about how the ice cream business works.
Assistant Librarian Kathy Dunton said: “The focus for our project is for students to learn about what goes into running a successful business and what makes ice cream yummy. During the first week of the four-week program, students visited local businesses to learn about the elements of a successful ice cream store and where ice cream or milk comes from. PES students visited three local ice cream stores, Deary Bros. Mike’s Stand, Main Street Gelato, and Riverview Ice Cream. PES students went behind the counter to learn about how to make ice cream or gelato, the equipment used, and the different roles or job people play in the business.”
Students also went to Woodstock Creamery. “They learned about where milk comes from and what goes into the production of milk,” Jakon said.
From there they researched more and began planning their companies.  They did surveys to come up with ice cream flavors that would sell and figured out everything about running the business. They investigated recipes, logos, menus, role playing and more.
They created three flavors, which everyone invited to the Ice Cream Social in the Putnam Elementary School library a couple weeks ago, got to enjoy. There was Watermelon Strawberry sorbet, Mango Chili ice cream and Doggy Dough ice cream. Jakon said there’s a possibility that Deary Brothers/Mike’s Stand might start serving Doggy Dough.
Jakon said play-based learning is a new state requirement to help kids learn.
For example, she said, one company decided they needed an ice cream truck. They created it out of cardboard and then had to use math to figure out how long the shoulder straps needed to be for a student to wear and “move” the cardboard truck.
“They created everything for their shops. They learned the roles and each took on each role” for all-around learning.
“It was a nice way to connect literacy and math,” she said.

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