Annual trips are highlights of Brookwood experience

4/9/2018

Thomasville Times-Enterprise, Staff Report

It was quite a sight: Thirty-five Brookwood School fifth graders in matching yellow hats sprawled on the basement floor of the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Ga., peering into tiny drilled holes. They squinted to inspect the dusty, shallow space below the floor planks. You see, this very church had been a stop on the Underground Railroad; the children could see with their own eyes just how uncomfortable it must have been for the slaves to hide there as they escaped to the north.

Indeed, when it comes to education, there’s no substitute for the real thing. That’s why immersive trips are a fundamental part of the Brookwood School experience. That — and everyone loves a good field trip.

Fifth grade language arts teacher Marsha Twilley said the annual trip to Savannah piggybacks on what her students learn throughout the year in the classroom. She and social studies teacher Haylee Pope work in tandem through each unit, she explained.

“When students study the Revolutionary War in their social studies class, they work through writing and reading assignments that have to do with that period of history in their language arts class,” Twilley said. This is also true when the class studies the Civil War, the Underground Railroad, the Industrial Revolution and both World Wars.

On their three-day, two-night visit to Savannah in the spring, fifth graders are taken through every part of history they’ve studied up to that point in the year. There, they sit in a classroom that existed during the American Revolution and visit several existing Civil War forts, Twilley said.

“Fort McAllister is always a big hit, because students are able to tour the inside of the underground earthworks where soldiers would have slept during the Civil War and watch a live cannon firing,” she said.

Another highlight of their trip is a riverboat dinner cruise.

“This is a fun time when these students are able to bond and continue to form solid relationships as they transition into Middle School together,” Twilley said.

Year after year, she said, fifth graders rave about what a wonderful experience the trip is for them — a perfect way to end the year together.

Science for Sixers

Sixth graders take an annual pilgrimage to the Challenger Learning Center in Tallahassee during their spring semester, a trip led by Middle School science teacher Sarah Willey. There, they take in a 3-D IMAX movie and visit the planetarium.

Willey said the group most looks forward to performing a space mission simulation during the visit.

“The students are split in two groups — half in mission control, half on the shuttle, and swap jobs halfway through,” she said. “Students work with robotic arms, program a space probe and perform all different types of labs.”

The trip fits right along with the students’ science studies during the second half of the school year, which is dedicated to all things outer space.

“There really could not be a better field trip for them to get such wonderful hands-on learning opportunities,” Willey said.

Jekyll Island for Sevens

Willey also leads her seventh grade life science class on a yearly trip to Jekyll Island, a program administered by the University of Georgia.

“Their goal is to “do science, not view science,’” she said. “They believe that hands-on, student- centered learning should be at the heart of science — something I agree with.”

Students learn ecology on a walk through a marsh and herpetology as they hold and examine multiple reptiles and amphibians. On a special night walk, students learn about constellations and bioluminescence.

“If kids can actually see and touch what we are studying, it helps them not only understand the material, but it also helps them enjoy the learning process,” Willey said. “This field trip gives us a rare opportunity to participate in activities that we would not be able to in a traditional school setting.”

Willey said her favorite part of the trip is getting the students out of the classroom and into nature.

“They don’t bring any technology with them, which is very refreshing,” she said. “They are able to unplug and really view the environment around them without distractions.”

D.C. for eighth graders

The trip to Washington, D.C., has been an annual rite of passage for Brookwood’s eighth graders since 1988, said English teacher Raina Cauley. Students leave Thomasville for a five-day, four-night stay; they navigate the city on foot or by metro, utilizing coach services only for travel to Mount Vernon and services at the National Cathedral.

The group visits the U.S. Capitol, the National Archives, the Pentagon, the Smithsonian Museums, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Mount Vernon, among other stops. At the Arlington Cemetery, the group witnesses the changing of the guards and takes part in the wreath laying ceremony. They even get to go ice skating at the National Gallery of Art.

“The D.C. trip is a perfect complement to the eighth grade American History and English curriculums,” Cauley said. “Students are able to see just where our nation’s history is housed; witness where and how laws are debated and passed; and appreciate the sacrifices made for our nation’s freedom.

“Walking up the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and reading the Gettysburg address at the feet of this great leader leaves a much deeper impression on a fourteen year-old than reading the speech on page 176 of his history book,” she said.

History lessons aside, the kids attain critical lessons in navigating a major metropolitan area.

“Many of our students have never flown, much less used public transportation such as the Metro. They learn practical navigation skills and how to be aware of their surroundings,” Cauley said.

What awaits in Upper School

Students look forward to many more immersive experiences when they grow to be Upper Schoolers, including a summertime trip to Europe or Spain; a visit to the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab through the marine science class; and a trip to the Florida State University Study Lab through the school’s Academic Resources Center.

Immersive programs are often brought to Brookwood’s Upper School students through visiting speakers and performances, such as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

“I have always been a huge fan of learning through immersion,” Cauley said. “Whether a short day trip or a four to 10-day trip abroad, there is nothing like seeing and experiencing it for yourself.”

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