Truth Thursday
It’s finally happened. After 11 straight years of having children in elementary school, I believe I have just gone on my final elementary school field trip. Two fifth grade classes, one charter bus, mom and son matching bagged lunches, two power plants and one long day.
Field trips have been one of the few school projects in which I have enjoyed being involved, and have happily volunteered to participate for many years. Starting with the four-year-olds’ preschool class trip to the National Gallery of Art, through kindergarten walks around the neighborhood, first grade ventures to the library, the second grade journey to the butterfly exhibit, third grade treks to the National Zoo, fabulous days at the great Smithsonian museums and concerts at the Strathmore music hall in fourth grade, and now the famous fifth grade power plant outing, I have enjoyed joining my kids on their learning adventures.
And now it’s coming to an end. The sixth graders, in their first year of middle school, go on a three-day, Outward Bound type of thing called Outdoor Ed, and yes, they do need parent chaperones to join them, but overnights in rustic cabins and exploring icky things outdoors are where I draw the line with my field trip duties. Plus, the fact is, your kids really don’t want you around anymore when they’re in middle school, and neither do the teachers, really. I’m ok with that.
As a parent who works outside the home, I have had to choose my school participation activities with care. I find that there are many times when the schools seem to expect that one parent will be available during work hours to help with a class project, set up a class party or watch a child get an award. I need to make choices about which of these items are the ones that matter most to my children. And field trips seem to win every time.
I remember being in elementary school and desperately wanting my mother to be one of the moms on the field trips. How proud I would be, holding my mother’s hand and showing her off to my friends! She never was one of those moms, however, because she worked and couldn’t take the time. So when my kids started in public school, I knew that field trips would be my area of choice.
We are fortunate to live in a city that offers a wonderful array of world-class outings for our students – and our schools take advantage of those institutions. This makes being a parent chaperone even more fun, because we get to see these great places from a kid’s perspective and enjoy them ourselves as well.
The power plant, however, had to have been one of the most interesting of all the field trips. I had been hearing about it for years – my older two kids had seen it, and when the note came home announcing that my youngest son’s class was going, I knew it was now or never. So I plunked down the extra money for my seat on the bus and signed up.
We got to visit not one but two different power plants – one that uses old fashioned coal to create electricity, and the other that takes all the trash that our county produces and turns it back into usable energy. Having a whole coterie of young environmentalists in my son’s class (our school actually has a club called the Young Activists Club and their big project has been to eliminate Styrofoam trays from the lunchroom) made the trip that much more interesting.
As it turns out, fifth graders are smart, funny, and ask a lot of good questions. The topic of recycling garbage for energy was a fascinating one for this group and they peppered the plant manager with endless questions -- I’m not sure he’ll ever recover.
My son was thrilled that I chaperoned – he even wanted to sit next to me on the bus. I mostly watched him from the back of the line, where I was making myself useful by keeping an eye on the lollygaggers (the exact word the teacher used, much to the class’s delight.)
My son is having a blast in fifth grade. He has been paired with a teacher who is inspiring him to read, and write, and think, and be creative, and enjoy school in a holistic way that has eluded him up until this year. I could see him taking everything in on the power plant trip, and processing it for later use, much like the turbines we saw churning.
My own heart was churning a little too. Like everything with my baby, when it comes time for him to reach a milestone and move on, I approach the moment with both relief and sadness. It has been a long elementary school road, and I am ready for a house filled with middle and high schoolers.
But I am also wiping away a tear because I know it means that I will never again point to a painting, touch a butterfly, hear a lion roar, or watch a power plant generate energy with a gaggle of elementary school kids. I will miss their giggles, their questions, and trying desperately to keep some order in the line.
I will miss bringing my paper bag lunch, eating with my child and his or her friends on the grass, and getting to see the world through the eyes of 25 ten-year-olds. It’s a very special perspective, and I have loved being a field trip mom and being allowed in to share it.
Photo by hettie via Flickr
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