Governor Dayton Spends Afternoon with 4th Graders

From a colorful handmade welcome banner to smiling faces, students and staff at were incredibly honored to have Governor Mark Dayton visit their school Thursday afternoon.

The Governor was invited to a fourth grade Robotics lesson, where he quickly got down on his hands and knees to work closely with all 25 students.

The visit was made possible by a request made by Speaker of the House Kurt Zeller’s wife, Kim, who teaches fourth grade at the school. She came up with the idea back in September in hopes of showing the Governor what innovative projects the students are up to this school year.

“The kids are able to build from Legos a working robot that they can program and download programs with and get to do really cool things. It brings in engineering, and science, and math and just a nice balance of all the curriculum things we’re working on,” Zeller said. “It’s just been real fun for them."

But the kids weren’t the only ones deeply engaged in the classroom.

“It’s so impressive to see how they were really engaged with one another as well as the project," the Governor told them. "That’s the kind of learning you just love to see and as a former teacher when you see that in a classroom that’s real success."

The Governor also became a special part of the school’s monthly pride assembly where the faculty honors the achievements of students and the school. He helped honor the Students of the Month and was even grilled with ten questions from members of the student council.

Questions ranged from what his favorite school lunch was back in the day to why he thinks school is so important.

His favorite school lunch? Cheeseburgers—which got a big laugh from the students.

Why does he think school is so important?

"Learning all the things you’re learning here in school and in the next years will be the number one thing to help you decide what you want to do for the
rest of your life," he told the kids. "You live in a world where you can fly all around the world and you can go anywhere you want and you can be whoever you want to be and do all the kinds of things you can’t even imagine
today.”

The Governor says he makes a point to visit at least one school a month and always enjoys leaving words of inspiration to the kids.

“To be a part of an assembly like that... it reminds me of what I’m doing with this job or trying to do—which is to make it a better state, a better nation, a better world for them and their children,” he said.

Thursday at Neill Elementary he closed with one final thought for the kids.

“The best way to open a door to opportunity is through a good education—so do your best!”