Preschoolers Carry Classroom to Community and Build Belonging at Dairyland

At Hillcrest Lutheran Academy, field trips are more than a break from routine—they are bridges that connect classroom learning to real-world living. Recently, the preschool class at Hillcrest ventured to a beloved Fergus Falls icon: Dairyland, a local business that’s been serving smiles and scoops for generations. But this trip wasn’t just about ice cream—it was about identity, community, and character.

As students walked up to the familiar Dairyland window, wide-eyed and wiggly with excitement, they were stepping into something bigger than a fun outing. They were stepping into Fergus Falls culture. This visit gave them a taste of what it means to belong—not just to a school, but to a town rich in tradition, full of local businesses that reflect the values of hard work, hospitality, and community care.

In the preschool program at Hillcrest, students are beginning to learn and practice core character traits alongside their Lower School classmates—traits like kindness, responsibility, and respect. These aren’t just concepts to be memorized; they’re virtues to be lived. By linking these traits to tangible community experiences, like a trip to Dairyland, students begin to understand that the way we treat each other in the classroom translates to the way we treat people in the world.

A place like Dairyland isn’t just where you go for a cone on a hot day. It’s a reminder that the local community is a living classroom—where stories, values, and relationships are built one interaction at a time. When our youngest students get to meet the people who work hard to serve the city, they start to connect the dots between what makes a great student and what makes a great citizen. And that’s a lesson that sticks.

This trip also highlights one of the often-overlooked superpowers of small towns: shared ownership of culture. Fergus Falls is full of local businesses, like Dairyland, that don’t just provide goods and services—they shape the atmosphere. These local places aren’t anonymous or distant. They are known, and they know you. That’s the kind of environment where kids don’t just grow up; they grow roots.

When students see how their actions and attitudes connect to the larger community, they begin to understand that they’re part of something meaningful. And when international students at Hillcrest experience this kind of community connectedness, it adds a unique layer of richness to their education—where local hospitality meets global vision.

These kinds of formative experiences don’t happen by accident. They happen because Hillcrest families, teachers, and supporters are dedicated to helping students grow in wisdom and love. The Parent Teacher Fellowship (PTF) at Hillcrest plays a crucial role in making these experiences possible—organizing fundraising efforts and building connections with local businesses and community leaders who welcome our students with open arms.

It’s a beautiful example of what makes Hillcrest special: a globally-minded school grounded in a deeply caring local community.

As our preschoolers build their understanding of character and community, trips like the one to Dairyland remind us of the powerful role our town plays in shaping future leaders. These students may be young, but they’re already learning how to carry the things that make great students—curiosity, kindness, and responsibility—into the field of what makes great citizens. And in turn, they are learning what it takes to build and belong to strong, meaningful communities.

These students didn’t just learn about their local business people. As they learned about the ice cream machines and poured their own ice cream cone they were building connection with local business owners that links them to a community that celebrates kids and celebrates connectedness.