We need a field trip!
COVID-19 caused public school systems across the nation to make major changes, but for the members of the sophomore and junior classes at Barrington High School one of them was life-changing: they lost the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., on a traditional full-class field trip.
For years, the three-day, two-night field trip has been a milestone for 8th graders before the transition to BHS. Traditionally, it was an opportunity for independence— a quality necessary for the high school experience.
“Our class came together and raised over $130,000 for the trip. It was incredible,” Class President Maddox Godwin recalls. “When the pandemic hit, and it became clear that the trip was no longer going to happen, I was devastated.”
Godwin was thoroughly involved in the process of planning the trip in eighth grade and, recently, has inquired into the possibility of having a whole grade field trip.
COVID-19 also caused drastic increases in stress for students, according to the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Forty-three percent of the students surveyed reported having sleepless nights. And now that students have returned to classrooms, stress levels are even higher as so many things pile up on each of us.
So far, junior year has been a huge contributor to more stress for the members of Class of 2024.
We call for a break.
How about a senior-year field trip?
Class Secretary Annabel Wiemer enthusiastically said, “Yeah!”
And Sadie Boyes said she thought it was “a fabulous idea.”
English teacher and Class of 2024 Advisor Mr. Patrick Scott thought it sounded like a great idea, but he wasn’t sure how the logistics of the trip would work.
“How would we fund the trip?” Mr. Scott asked. “There has never been a trip for a whole class before.”
“[The administration] told me that there are now different rules for how field trips work at the high school,” he continued. “The middle school had special approval for the D.C. trip.”
When asked for his input on this topic, BHS Principal, Mr. Ashley said, “Field trips provide a hands-on, memorable experience for students; however, the logistical planning for a class trip is considerable and, equally important, the cost would make it challenging to support.
“I would say this is why many teachers work to schedule smaller field trips to still provide these opportunities for students,” Mr. Ashley concluded.
It’s true: field trips do offer students a chance to learn outside the classroom, gaining knowledge from a different perspective. And who doesn’t want a “memorable experience”?
While it’s been a tough year, a break is needed. Although organizing larger "class" trips can be challenging, smaller field trips that teachers root for are important and should continue.