Adams Elementary teacher brings 'vintage suitcase' museum to life; students showcase hands-on language learning

At the June 15 board meeting, Adams Elementary principal Tracy Renfro introduced World Language teacher Kim McMahon and three students who showcased the school's 'vintage suitcase' interactive museum project.

McMahon explained she developed 16 language-themed suitcases (four per language) funded initially by a grant and supplemented with PTO funds; each suitcase contains artifacts and objects from countries where the language is spoken to provoke curiosity and student-directed learning. Students described classroom activities: guessing a country from items pulled from a suitcase, choosing an artifact and researching it on Chromebooks, and working in small groups to discover and present facts about places that speak the target language.

Fifth-grade students Olivia Murray, Ansley and Brett Robinsley Summers told the board how the suitcases let them choose what to learn and help peers stay engaged; examples included using German numbers to pick an item, learning about Krampus in Austria, and investigating a 'hairy crab' culinary item linked to multiple regions where Chinese is spoken. McMahon said the project had evolved with small local funding and volunteer time and that she hoped to expand independent suitcase use for older students next year.

Board members praised the project as a practical way to connect language to real artifacts and foster cultural understanding. The presentation illustrated a classroom innovation that district staff said aligns with engagement and retention goals.

Ending: The board thanked the students and teacher; administration and trustees encouraged continued creative, grant-funded classroom projects.