First field trip of the year and no one got injured! All students came back in one piece with candy and treasures in hand. We started the morning off pretty typical by having the students go to their desks and getting their homework out but they were not going to be in the room long so we did not want them to get too settled. After the ground rules were said, it was time to get ready to load the buses! My class was divided up so we could all fit on 3 buses. First through fifth grade was going on the field trip and just like we did at camp over the summer, everyone sat 3 to a seat.
This bus ride was much louder than any bus ride over the summer though. My bus had 24 of my students along with an entire first grade class. Their energy was so high and not long after we got on the bus, they started singing and shouting. Before I knew it, my girls started singing the "Party Rock Anthem". Seeing as that is not an appropriate song for an eight year old, I asked them to either sing a different song or don't sing. The bus decided to sing praise and worship songs for the rest of the ride. The closer we got, the louder they got. The bus finally arrived at St. Brendan's which holds a high school, parish, and seminary. On the other side of their grounds is a Catholic K-8 elementary school and an all-boys Catholic school. We were greeted by all the high schoolers once the buses pulled in. As each student came off the bus, they were matched with a high schooler or "Guardian Angel" for the day. The high schooler stayed with them all day and was in charge of anything they needed. In the morning, they went straight to the bounce houses that were patiently awaiting our eager children. My students were already in line and ready to go, including my student with a cast! They were having a blast. There were three of them set up for all the students to go in and there was a the "sugar station" as I will call it. The students and their angels could go get snow cones, cotton candy, and popcorn anytime they wanted that morning. Nothing like little first graders walking around with cotton candy all over their faces at 10 in the morning but they were having so much fun that I could not help but smile and laugh. I walked around for most of the morning watching all of them having so much fun. While I was watching some of my students, a teacher from St. Brendan's came up and started talking to me. She asked how long I had been at St. James so my volunteer story came out. She was in such shock about what I was doing but very kind as well. She was very intrigued and we exchanged emails. She is actually the guidance counselor among other positions for the high school. She introduced me to a few other staff that walked by but had to get on with her day. It was neat to make a connection outside of St. James with someone that seemed genuinely interested in what we are doing down here.
The morning went by quickly and before I knew it, the teachers were telling me it was time to go eat lunch. The students received box lunches but the teacher were able to walk to the school cafeteria and eat their lunch. It was chicken tenders and mashed potatoes which brought me back to Bishop Carroll. Walking past all the high schoolers and sitting in their cafeteria definitely brought me back to high school and I'm sure if I hadn't been wearing a St. James shirt, many of the students might have thought I was a high schooler. On my way back to the students, I stopped in at their church because several of the teachers told me it was beautiful. They were exactly right. It was filled with stained glass, mosaics, and beautiful architecture. I sat in there for a little bit just to take it all in. There was a teacher about to have class in there so I stayed a little bit longer and listened to him play the piano before walking back. It was very peaceful in there and I hope those students realize how lucky they are to have that opportunity.
Once I got back to my students, they were all sitting eating with their angels and friends. The rest of their afternoon was spent inside the gym that had all sorts of booths with games and crafts. Students were walking around with crowns, masks, cupcakes, and candy galore! They had a Wii set up, face painting, football games, throwing games, a toilet paper toss, bowling, and even a mock newscast setting for them! There were times when I felt a little bad for the high schoolers because the younger ones were running around from booth to booth in order to get the optimal candy amount. I saw a few teachers inside and several of them asked where I had been all day. Most of them had stayed at a picnic table outside but there was no way I was going to be able to sit while all my students were having so much fun. I wanted to watch them even though I didn't have to. I am my mother's daughter so I took as many pictures as I could. Before I knew it, the afternoon was over and it was time to load the bus! Trying to round all the students up was a little chaotic because they did not want to leave but we eventually retrieved all of them. They hugged their angels and we counted to make sure they were all here. We loaded the buses and it was time to go! My students had tons of candy and goodies in their hands. Many of their bags were overflowing! I was hoping that they would fall asleep on the ride back but they were calmer so that was good enough for me. Many of them wanted to dig into their candy but like all mean teachers, I made them wait til they got home. We arrived right as school was supposed to be out. We rushed up to the classroom, handed out their folders to go home, and sent them on their way!
I was able to get some grading done since it was early release and there was no meeting which was helpful. We left not too long after 3:30 and I was ready to crash once we got back. I took a small nap and have been trying to prepare myself for teaching tomorrow. Hopefully my students are not crazy tomorrow because we also have a dance tomorrow afternoon. It's time to show off my sweet dance moves!
I am so grateful that my students were able to go on this field trip today because I know how much they were looking forward to it and enjoyed it. Sadly I do not think they have any other field trips this year but one is better than none. If I end up back in Wichita, I think it would be neat to see something like that happen in the school that I am at. I just have half a day of teaching tomorrow so I'm almost done for the week!
For all of you not as lucky as me, have a great second half of your week! You only have 2 days left so keep your head up and make it through! 2 weeks until Thanksgiving!
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