Every year, over 750 students throughout West Kern Water District’s (District) service area receive custom water education curricula. “Our board of directors recognized the importance of educating students about the District’s local water supplies and the importance of water conservation,” said Greg Hammett, district general manager. “All the curricula provided correlate to the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards for the second and fifth grades and are provided free of charge to the eight schools within the District’s service area,” added Hammett.
“The Taft City School District appreciates the standards-based water curricula for our second and fifth graders in the district that have been provided through the West Kern Water District for the past two years,” said Superintendent Julie Graves of the Taft City School District. “This is the second year that the district has participated in utilizing such a comprehensive and complete curriculum for our students in regard to water conservation, and I know that the efforts of the West Kern Water District have had a positive impact on our students in their learning about water in the classroom,” she continued.
The second grade curriculum, “Miss Betty Bee Has the BUZZ on Water Conservation,” was created to educate students about their local history and water supplies as well as the importance of water conservation. Students enter Miss Betty’s classroom and learn how the communities on the west side of Kern County receive water. A unique unit activity included involves students taking home a Miss Betty Bee plush toy to explore water conservation at home. A colorful Miss Betty Bee Pledge Poster encourages students to save water and offers helpful tips on a bookmark to remind students to make every drop count.
The fifth grade program, “Facts about Your Water Supply,” is a custom water education curriculum that features standards-based activities that are practical for teachers, yet it also engages the students’ critical-thinking skills. Students investigate the water cycle and explore the impressive journey of water in California in their full-color water education workbook created exclusively for the District. A hands-on groundwater activity kit is included to help students better understand this critical water resource. Students are given many water conservation tips through their workbook and on the bookmark.
“With the continuing drought in the area, West Kern Water District provided educational material to our students in the Elk Hills School District. It was standards-based and had hands-on learning activities for students that helped them to not only understand their own local water supply but also grasp the importance of water conservation overall,” said Superintendent Jeff Tensley, Elk Hills School District.
West Kern Water District’s Schools Served
Below is a list of schools located within West Kern Water District’s service area:
Conley Elementary School
Elk Hills Elementary School
Jefferson Elementary School
Maricopa Elementary School
McKittrick Elementary School
Midway Elementary School
Parkview Elementary School
Taft Primary Elementary School
Program Overview
Feedback
Superintendent Julie Graves, Taft City School District:
“The Taft City School District appreciates the standards-based water curriculum for our second and fifth graders in the district provided through the West Kern Water District for the past two years. This is the second year that the district has participated in utilizing such a comprehensive and complete curriculum for our students regarding water conservation, and I know that the efforts of the West Kern Water District have had a positive impact on our students in their learning about water in the classroom.”
Superintendent Jeff Tensley, Elk Hills School District:
“With the continuing drought in the area, West Kern Water District provided educational material to our students at Elk Hills School District. It was standards-based and had hands-on learning activities for students that helped them to understand not only their own local water supply but also the importance of water conservation overall.”
Dr. Scott Meier, Maricopa Unified School District:
“We have very much appreciated the support and curriculum materials that have been developed and provided to Maricopa Elementary School by the West Kern Water District. Our second- and fifth-grade students love the hands-on science and like learning about our water cycle! Please keep up the great support!”
Superintendent Al Quezada, Midway School:
“Midway School appreciates the opportunity for our second and fifth graders to be a part of West Kern Water District’s educational curriculum. Our students enjoyed the many fun-filled, hands-on activities that captured their interest, making learning about water conservation a worthwhile experience. This locally created program, along with Common Core standards-based materials, connected directly with our students. Once again, thank you for allowing our school to participate in this wonderful program.”
Superintendent Barry Koerner, McKittrick Elementary School:
“I appreciate the fact that the West Kern Water District includes McKittrick Elementary school in their educational outreach efforts. The ‘Bringing Water into the Classroom’ series is a mental dot-to-dot program for our students. It assists them in gaining a clear picture of exactly where their clean drinking water comes from. Our students know that when they turn on the faucet, water comes out. The ‘Bringing Water into the Classroom’ series teaches students in a few short, hands-on lessons exactly where their clean drinking water comes from, and how valuable it is. This year, weaving the West Kern Water District’s water education curriculum into our science classes will not be difficult.”
