Are field trips and experiential trips really meaningful?

Pony Express Museum (In the Old Days)

When I think back to my elementary, middle, and high school days, I don’t truly remember the day-to-day academics, the units studied, or the tests taken… but, what I do remember are the field trips I experienced. I remember my trip to the zoo in first grade, the journey to Fort Osage in 3^rd Grade, the Pony Express Museum in 7^th Grade, and our Senior Trip in High School. When I compare what Oakhill’s students experience to my experiences, there is NO comparison! From the time our students are in Preschool, we strive to create experiences off campus that will tie in with our curriculum – bringing various aspects of the curriculum to life.

2014 Omaha Zoo Fieldtrip

Since Spring Break, our students have been afforded the opportunity to be enriched with various trips. Our 3^rd Grade students spent an entire day (7:00 am – 5:45 pm) at the Omaha Zoo. Each and every minute of the trip was scheduled to allow ample time to explore what the students had been studying! Our Kindergarten students spent last Friday at the Paul Mesner Puppet Show. Our 7^th and 8^th Graders left at 5:45 am on Monday, April 14^th to spend the day in Northern Arkansas at the Crystal Bridges Art Museum. When they returned at 7:30 pm that night, they had enjoyed more than “just” the art museum, but had enjoyed one another.

In another week, our 5^th and 6^th Grade students head to Washington D.C. for a 4 day/3 night adventure while our 7^th and 8^th Graders travel to the Florida Keys for a 5 day/4 night excursion! I have been on both trips… and, I cannot say enough about how the students benefit from this travel – the independence, the responsibility, the learning, the exposure… they truly “grow up” on this trip! The Washington, D.C. group experiences all the great things the city has to offer: monuments, memorials, museums, Arlington Cemetery, the White House, the Capitol Building, Mt. Vernon, and so much more! The Florida Keys group experiences the Keys from Miami to Key West, all the great sites of Key West including the southernmost point, the Hemingway Home, and Smather’s Beach, the turtle hospital, and the main attraction – SeaCamp! SeaCamp is like nothing I have ever experienced – on the boat, snorkeling, wading, dissecting squid, swimming with sharks, and so much more! When the students return from the trips, they have truly changed, AND, they have memories that will last a lifetime!

Oakhill Takes on Hermann, MO

From pumpkin patches to Kaleidoscope; from 18^th and Vine to Hermann, MO; from Discovery Center to Union Station; and from the Zoo to Steamboat Arabia – each and every trip is impactful! Our students are truly lucky!

Check out this link... It gives more information about the Heifer Experience, our Middle School trip this coming October – Senora is taking the group back to Heifer International’s Overnight experience in Perry, Arkansas. 

Check out photos from our last trip to Heifer!

Travel makes one wiser and more appreciative!