Two Riley Avenue Elementary School kindergarten classes got a behind-the-scenes look at the U.S. postal service Friday morning.
Students of Emily Chizever and Marica Sidik had a tour of the Calverton Post Office, guided by postal worker Barbra Merker, who explained how mail is sorted and delivered.
The children got a chance to watch letter carriers sort mail before heading out on their delivery routes, look at the inside of a mail truck, go for a ride on delivery platform lift and meet Calverton Postmaster Kathy Donatone. They also mailed letters to themselves, handing them to their letter carriers.
"This will be in your mailbox when you get home today," Merker told them. Students whose carriers had already gone out wouldn't get their letters until the next day, she said.
Merker, who has done this tour for Riley kindergartners for several years, said she enjoys the visit as much as the kids do.
The field trip helps the youngsters learn about what's in their community and how things work, explained Chizever. They have already toured a grocery store (the Wading River King Kullen) and a working farm, she said. Community awareness is part of the social science curriculum, Chizever said.
