FIELD TRIP!!!

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round. Those wheels kept spinning at 65 miles an hour all the way to Germantown, TN. We went on our Shelby Fest subsidized fieldtrip to see A Christmas Carol. The event went off with out a hitch. Minor delays and minimal extemporaneous issues lead to a day of smooth sailing and enjoyment for the entire fourth grade save two students. A… and T… were absent for their decision to host a slugfest in Ms. F…’s class the day before. We were mildly behind schedule but conveniently we did not have the school bus that tops out at 56 miles per hour. Rip, bus driver and bassist for the Wessley Jefferson Band, safely conducted our travels to the theatre at a crisp 65 mph. The children were phenomenally well behaved in and out of the theater. Through careful planning we made a 65 Big Mac Mc Donald’s trip in under 45minutes. The manager had all the meals carefully assembled and ready for distribution upon our arrival. She proudly noted the fact that she had been a middle school teacher and knows what it’s like. All sauces and napkins were included abolishing the necessity for students to get out of their seats. Score. And we’re off, back on the bus. Ms. M, a parent chaperone, had tired of telling the kids to stop talking. The kids were on point all day but started to break the appropriate decibel level on the bus so she stripped off her belt and hit J…in the head.

All in all it was a very successful day. I think I have become desensitized because the belt whipping did not phase me in the least. I relayed this story to some friends in Nashville and they thought it was disconcerting. Anyway. Many of the students have never been out of MS. We observed the rolling hills as we entered TN, contrasted and compared the various homes, and counted the numerous people and cars. The students enjoyed the show and were able to explain and relay the message of the story. They liked the costumes, singing and dancing. Fulfilled from a day of treats and excitement the students slept for the majority of the ride home. The little girl sitting next to me scooted over and fell asleep on my arm.

A highlight from the return trip. We received the makings of bagged lunches and were obligated to distribute the food to the students. Federal Law requires the distribution of free lunches to those students who qualify. All of our students qualify. Thirty minutes from Shelby, Mr. F and myself started assembling premier ghetto ham sandwiches. We had been given a few loaves of bread and a pile of ham, no plastic gloves. To be as sanitary as possible while cramped at the back of a school bus, we grabbed some napkins and assembled 60 sandwiches as best we could. The kids devoured them all.

I explained the coordination efforts that had been put into assembling this trip. The students are fully aware that Shelby Fest sponsored this trip and will be subsidizing our next trip as well. We cut the cost of attendance from $15 to $5 per student. The Christmas Carol novels they are reading in class came from a generous donation from our friends at the Hamlin School who are deeply concerned with their education. They area aware of the energy and effort expended to create this fabulously smooth running experience. However, how can we ensure that purposeful extra-curricular events continue to occur? Creating continuity among projects is of vital importance. I am currently contemplating our next project. The remaining Shelby Fest funds could be used to produce a play at the middle school and fund raise to fill the coffers for next year.