KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mrs. Shannon Callahan's fifth grade class at Stony Point North Elementary in Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools spends more time talking about baseball than many would expect.
Their teacher, who just happened to be wearing a Kansas City Royals jersey during our visit, makes sure of it.
"We've already been to like seven or eight [Royals] games this year," Callahan said as she quizzed her students about baseball stats and facts.
But they've also spent lots of time prepping for the science part of School Day at The K.
"She said there might be like science stuff that we haven't experienced yet," said Leo Ortiz, one of Callahan's students.
Callahan has been to five School Days already. She told me that making sure the students are ready for what they're going to see is a really important part of the trip.
"If we don't teach them now and introduce them to it now, they're gonna have no interest later," Callahan said. "I don't want them to go out there and just be lost and confused about what's happening. I want them to understand, 'Hey, we learned about some of this,' and then see it in action."
Several students told me School Day will be their first trip to Kauffman Stadium.
Callahan knows that, too. And she knows what a fertile learning environment the visit has a chance to be.
"Watching the kids light up when they see it, or see them experience something for the first time, it just makes me realize this is why I do what I do," Callahan said.
Stony Point North will send its entire fifth grade class to School Day at The K. It is one of dozens of schools, from inside and outside the KC metro area, that will be in attendance.
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