In 5th grade it was mandatory that every student complete a project on some aspect of ancient Egyptian culture.

It was not mandatory that one boy come in with a lifesized tomb carved out of a block of styrofoam. It was not required that one girl involve her entire family in the making of a video fashion show to present her project on Egyptian jewelry and clothing. It was not necessary for one student to recreate Egyptian recipes for the class to try.

None of these aspects appeared on any rubric or adhered to any standard; students just chose to do them. For fun. They had a genuine interest in what they were learning and took it upon themselves to explore the topic further.

If you ask any high school student who completed this project, they could probably tell you all about it, even to this day. It fostered a love for learning that can’t be replaced. The project turned what could just have been a history lesson into a learning experience. Kids were encouraged to go above and beyond, and they gladly did so.

We don’t remember the spelling quizzes, multiplication problems, or science tests because we still have those–they’re just harder. We do remember walking into class excited to share what we learned with our peers. And being equally as excited to learn from them.

It is crucial that this excitement– to learn, to listen, to be in school in general– not be taken for granted. Recent changes to the curriculum in the elementary schools and the way in which this curriculum is being taught seem to shift the focus away from fun and towards that test prep and drudgery that makes even high schoolers weary.

We realize it was not the school district’s choice to adopt state testing based on the Common Core, that it was mandated by the state and national government, but we want to know if something can be done to help preserve the fun that made elementary school so special for us.

The teachers we talked to said schools are drilling their students with lessons they know can’t be finished by the end of the year. Kids are expected to sit at their desks for hours, with only the hope of “academic choice time.” Play time is a thing of the past, with one-size-fi ts-all lessons all too common.

We know it’s important to track the progress of students to see if the implemented changes are actually having any effect, but these tests and this curriculum only take the student’s academic progress into consideration.

Kindergarteners are sent to school with an extra change of clothes just in case any “accidents” happen. They’re still babies. Potty training should come before the Scantrons.

Again, we know the district cannot avoid all of these changes and policies. But to the greatest extent that is possible, we urge the district to keep the fun in elementary schools.

Learning to love learning is just as crucial a part of anyone’s education as is the learning of curriculum. Enthusiasm for learning can become a lifelong habit, even outside of the classroom, something that we can keep with us even after we’ve forgotten the particulars of the ancient Egyptian diet.