Out Standing in their "Fields"

You just know its nearly the end of the school year when all the field trip permission slips start coming home.  The second to last week of school both Henry and Jed's classes went on field trips, and both of them were, in the true sense of the moniker, "field" trips.  Because I am a hands on mom and volunteer in the classrooms a lot throughout the year I can usually get one of the few coveted spots as a parent chaperon on the trips. Fortunately I was able to accompany both Henry and Jed on their final "field" trips of the school year.

Jed's second grade class took a field trip that is a classic at La Madera, the twins went on this field trip when they were in second grade, and last year I was able to go on the same field trip with Henry's class when his second grade class went.  In our school district, in the hills of the Saddleback Mountains, is the Trabuco Canyon public school that also offers a "field" study program for other elementary schools.  It is one of the smaller schools in the district, is located in a more rural, wooded location surrounded by trees and creeks and horse stables.  There is even a bonified general store across the street, and the school is bordered by O'Neill Regional Park, which has wilderness and campgrounds, and is where Cub Scout Day Camp is held every year.

The students participate in the Field study program which examines scientific and natural elements, talks about the history of the area and some of the first inhabitants, and has many many hands on activities for the students to participate in.  The school even has a barnyard next to the playground complete with a chicken coop, horses, goats, ducks, roosters and a big old pig.

The trip is just a short bus ride away, straight up El Toro and into the hills.

the school bus ride is always half the fun, right?

Trabuco School 

The first activity Jed's group does is learning about the Native Americans in the area and some of their history and culture.  They marker paint a story rock with a symbol on it, and decorate Popsicle sticks to represent a dice throwing game that was very popular among the people.

Jed copies symbols from the key to decorate his sticks 

After learning a bit about the geological history of the area they kids go outside to break open rocks and discover what's on the insides.  Usually for this activity the kids are taken down to a creek that runs past the school and break rocks on its banks, but fresh mountain lion tracks were spotted there this morning, so the kids stay on campus and hammer away.

This sorting activity was fun for the kids - a large scoop of dirt was placed in the can with four different levels with four different sizes of sieves.  The larger rocks and gravel are captured on top,  the more course rocks at the next level, sand, and then finally silt on the bottom.  

Shake the canister to distribute the material

Final step, open the canister and explore the contents of each level

Lunch break! 

After lunch and a lesson on fossils and such the kids are taken to this (stocked) sandpit to "dig" for fossils - they put a scoop into their sieve and shake out the dirt, left behind are shells, shark teeth and different types of rocks, some with small fossils in them.  The kids can choose three items to keep in a baggie.  The sharks teeth are small but sharp!

using different tools to search for fossils 

A visit to the resident farm animals which include: 

big pig

chicken coop - kids could go inside and interact with the chickens

my favorite was this beautiful woodpecker that hung out during our visit

holding a live salamander that felt exactly like it was a gummy candy

Madagascar hissing cockroach (shudder)

On return to La Madera we found out that the campus had been locked down while we were gone due to nearby gun activity (!), so we missed almost as much excitement as we experienced on our field trip.

The next week I was able to accompany Henry's class on another fun "field" trip - every year the third graders visit nearby Tanaka Farms to learn about local agriculture and organic farming, taste fresh vegetables and pick strawberries.  This place is such a great resource for our school and area.  Located in the hills of Irvine it is a working farm that grows and sells fruits and vegetables year round, as well as seasonal features such as a pumpkin patch, petting zoo, Christmas tree lot, and u-pick strawberry fields.  It has been farmed for years by the Tanaka family from Japan, and is on a year-to-year lease with the Irvine Company.  Every year we fear they won't be back, but for years now they have. 

Our school participated in a CSA program with them last year, and we enjoyed the boxes of fresh fruit and veggies we got from them weekly.  Now to enjoy their goods we can come to their market stand located in the front of the fields, or come on a field trip and taste things right out of the ground!  The kids were all great sports and tried everything handed to them, from green onions, to cauliflower, to carrots, parsley and more.  At the end of the tractor ride through the fields everyone gets out and gets to pick their own carton of strawberries to take home.  Fun and yummy! 

Hitting the tractors 

celery and butter beans 

carrots - delicious!

celebrate the carrot! 

snap peas

corn on the cob - mmm...

everyone wanted more...

At the last stop all the kids get out of the wagon and are given a carton to fill with

strawberries that they can take home.  It's also all you can eat as you pick...

The strawberry plants are interspersed with onion plants to confuse bugs

and act as a natural insecticide, the only kind that Tanaka Farms uses. 

Henry out standing in his field

Thanks for a wonderful "field" trip Tanaka Farms! 

Playing Faire

The school year is quickly coming to a close, just a little over a week left!  The twins first year of middle school seventh grade has gone by so unbelievably fast.  It seems like we were just coming to the school for orientation, learning more about the classes and programs available to them this year.  Both kids were in the Middle school honors program this year, which consisted of two classes, Honors English and Honors World History.  

Being a student in this program has been challenging and rewarding this year. They have done numerous world history projects, and have read and analyzed some good material this year including Treasure Island, A Christmas Carol, various Poetry and Shakespeare, and Tom Sawyer which they are just finishing up.  They also read some of the books that the regular English classes read, such as The Outsiders, just for fun. 

At the end of every school year the two teachers of these honor classes collaborate on a Renaissance Faire for the honors students to participate in. The woods around the school are decorated and booths are set up.  The whole area is transformed into a medieval village in a forest complete with a (painted) castle, there are educational booths set up with middle ages trades, crafts and games, a trebuchet, battle training, period dance instruction, a Maypole, knights, a king and queen, a dragon and even the Pope.  In the afternoon several of the students put on a Shakespeare play for the rest of the group. 

Everyone (even us volunteers) are required to dress in period costume. Pete got a chuckle out of that, he could just imagine the already somewhat nerdy honors kids being required to dress up in awkward costumes and parade around while the rest of the school went on with their normal day.  In reality it was a lot of fun and the kids all seemed to really enjoy themselves and the many aspects that the Faire offered.  The Faire took up the whole school day so they never really mixed in with the other students, lunch was even catered as a part of the faire, the kids ate roast chicken, bread, corn on the cob and apple turnovers, supposedly representative of an actual meal of the time.  (However unlike a similar meal served at Medieval Times restaurant, the kids didn't have to eat with their hands). 

The weather turned out to be beautiful, and the twins dressed appropriately without my having to purchase anything, thanks to hand me downs and clothing borrowed from Sue. 

Now behold, the Renaissance Faire of the Village of Serrano in the Kingdom of Lake Forest: 

the villagers gather 

The Pope begins the Faire with a blessing:

Next, the village band plays a traditional Renaissance song: (featuring Jack on snare drum)

Here's a live action video clip of the song - Jack performs, and a look at the Faire 

Harriet with many of the other fair Faire maidens 

Battle Training - the kids are taught the history and strategy of fighting with pikes:

Jack with his pike facing the instructor

Harriet in the battle line - also one of our bishop's twin sons dressed in his Puck costume

for the play later in the day

hand-to-hand pike combat 

Harriet poses with the King in front of the castle (also with the bishop's other twin son)

escaping the fire-breathing dragon

Harriet taking a turn trying the trebuchet

painting stained glass "windows" with religious and literary imagery

Jack spent a lot of time at the Mancala booth 

Harriet writing with an ink dipped feather quill 

Participating in the Maypole dance - not thrilled mom's taking pictures! 

Tied up Maypole ribbons  

After lunch its time for the entertainment - A production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
performed by certain members of the honors classes - including Jack as Theseus Duke of Athens, and Harriet as the fairy Peaseblossom.

the fairies in the glen 

Here is some video of Jack in his role before my camera died and I had
to revert to using my iPhone to take video and pictures  

Short video of Jack as Thesus - my camera died and then I had to 

use my iPhone camera, with which I recorded the video below, which

is longer but not as good as quality, harder to hear the lines 

Longer version, less quality

the cast clowning around after the show