Three More Grades Hitting the Road

In the coming school year, the district will launch an ambitious expansion of excursions beyond the classroom as a way to enrich students' lives and deepen their learning.

In addition to the existing trips for third through sixth grade students, this year, students in transitional kindergarten through second grade will also hit the road -- completing a full array of trips for every elementary grade level.

The field trips are part of the district's emphasis on the board-adopted Goal 2: "All students will engage in arts, activities and athletics."

"With this expansion, our students have a fun but educational field trip to look forward to every year, starting in transitional kindergarten. It's these outside-the-classroom experiences that have a lasting impact on a student," said Superintendent Michael Hanson.

Field trip plans include:

- Transitional kindergarten: Storyland or the Fresno Art Museum

- Kindergarten: Fresno State Farm or the Chaffee Zoo or Storyland

- First grade: Fresno State's planetarium or the Chaffee Zoo or the Discovery Center

- Second grade: Fossil Discovery Center (Chowchilla) or the Chaffee Zoo or the fish hatchery

"We are excited about the educational connections and the student engagement opportunities these destinations hold," Hanson said.

Grades 3-4-5-6 will continue with their enrichment opportunities:

- Third grade: Fresno County Office of Education's Scout Island or sites on the San Joaquin River Parkway Trust or Fresno State's planetarium

- Fourth grade: Monterey Bay Aquarium and Mission San Juan Bautista

- Fifth grade: The Exploratorium (San Francisco) or The California Academy of Science (San Francisco) or The Tech Museum (San Jose)

- Sixth grade: Calvin Crest or Sierra Outdoor School or Camp Green Meadows in the Sierra mountains.