One of the most-requested things from our schools and parents is field trip buses. Currently, unless a bus is rented by a school’s PTA, parents have to drive on field trips or the kids walk. The big fourth grade field trip is to Mission San Juan Bautista – when schools can get buses for it. This is just one of the field trips SEF could to fund next year. Here’s an essay from a student who was able to take that trip this year:
That was the best field trip ever! Yesterday I went to San Juan Bautista. My group and I loved it there. We saw an old hotel, garden, fire station, and we had a great tour.
In the hotel there were just 3 rooms and not many people came to stay at the hotel perhaps because they had a house of their own. Although it was small it had a great view. There was a chicken coop next to the hotel. It had 4 chickens. The chickens are probably used for eggs and meat.There are only 3 tables in the the dining room. This hotel isn’t anything like what we have now.
In the garden there were many flowers. If you look on the cement floor you can see many paw prints. The garden was very beautiful. There was also a mill used for grinding grain. Although it was tied up we could see how it was used.
The fireman used wagons. Their buckets were red. The bottom of the bucket had a round end to it and at first, we thought it was to carry more water but it was to keep the people from taking and using it. If people took it they wouldn’t be able to place it on the ground. Fireman don’t need to place it on the ground they just need to pour the water on fire.
If you wonder why San Juan Bautista was such a busy place in the olden days, it was because many wagons would stop there much like a busy airport these days.
The best part of this field trip was the tour. We learnt many historical facts. We learnt the ways of many Native Americans and cultural facts. We made ourselves look like Native Americans.
This was one of my favorite field trips ever but not many kids are lucky enough to go to a school that can afford money to go to this wonderful place. I learnt a smart way to build a bucket, why San Juan Bautista was so busy in the olden days and much much more. I wish all kids get to enjoy this great town.
Wyndia
