The last fieldtrip

After almost 200 fieldtrips, I climbed off the bus for the last time on Tuesday after the last fieldtrip that took my last senior class to Sacramento, the state capital.

Lots of lasts there.

The kids behaved so well and we all had a good time.  Of course, that has been the way it always goes on these trips.

So, what did I do this week?

I took 14 yearbook students to the Josten’s printing plant in Visalia.  We do this every year, and this was my ninth trip.  Every year there is more renovation.  I love to see all that they are doing to keep up to date.  Unlike schools, businesses innovate.

Here are my students in front of one of the big color presses:

While perusing the art department, a group of girls found a book they really liked and wanted to imitate:

This was a size 7 book for Trinity High School two years ago.  Trinity is not an inner city school.  We are.  Trinity is an all white school.  We aren’t.  Trinity probably has no gang problem.  We have a huge one; actually two distinct gangs and a few smaller ones.

I think the idea of a notebook motif is good and one that I could go along with.  This one?  Not so much.

On the road again

This time to San Jose, California.   We took 31 juniors to Santana Row and Westfield Mall so they could get a feel for how other cities design their shopping areas.  The science teacher requires this class to design a city, from the ground up, for their end of the year project.  She takes them to the waste water treatment plant, too, so they will understand utilities.  

Our students have travelled so little, and not seen even much of their own town, much less other, better designed towns, that we decided to show them something different this year.  They all marvelled at Santana  Row, and how all the restaurants had tables set on the sidewalks with linens, cutlery, and salt and pepper shakers.  One student commented that could not happen in Fresno, because someone would steal everything.  Also, they were impressed with how quiet it was, that no one was screaming obscenities.  Ah, my kids come from some interesting neighborhoods.

I enjoyed the day, seeing new stores that we do not have in Fresno, and, like the kids, did some shopping.  I love toys, so bought some finger puppets at a great little paper store.

Because we require the students to professionally dress for our fieldtrips, they are treated much better than most high school students who show up in their usual school attire.  I was especially vigilant about that for this trip since we were going to a much more upscale location.  I don’t want my kids to be mistreated.