The Preuss School has been more enthusiastic about adding clubs for middle school. As of this school year, they have the Wonders club, Baking club, Rocks and Minerals Earth Science club, and Coding club. However, they should also be given a chance to have more field trips and spirit weeks like the high school students.
High school students have enjoyed two spirit weeks, multiple field trips, and many opportunities. For example, field trips to universities like San Marcos University, USD, UCSD, and to plays. Some opportunities for freshman this year include being able to attend a meeting about the Air Force, learning from a Neurosurgeon, meetings with a physician assistant, and careers in pharmacy as well. Sophomores also received many career opportunities, scholarship opportunities, and events. With this being said, high school students receive many opportunities for multiple different careers, and middle school hardly even gets field trips nor spirit weeks.
Now what have middle schoolers had so far? Middle schoolers have only had a few field trips this school year: the UCSD basketball game, 6th grade camp, and an 8th grade Comic Con Museum. Last school year middle school had two field trips, a UCSD basketball game, and Birch Aquarium. This is a reasonable number of field trips, but 7th graders aren’t very included. Middle School also lacks spirit weeks. Maybe each grade should have three field trips every semester, and two or more spirit weeks a semester as well. They should receive more because field trips improve social skills and will educate themselves with the type of field trip it is as well.
For example, if it’s a play they are going to go watch, they will learn more about story writing, or simply how to stay put and listen. The Lighthouse Academy states, “Field trips are a fantastic way for students to connect their classroom learning with the real world. These experiences take education beyond the pages of textbooks and provide a hands-on approach that can make course material more engaging and memorable.” The Lighthouse Academy emphasizes how a hands-on approach to learning helps students’ brains approach the school subject in a different way. Also, making course material more engaging is important because students will develop proactive collaboration and critical thinking. Not only will Preuss students be able to learn better, but they will also learn to socialize with their classmates.
Additionally, staff members will also benefit from this because if middle school students go on field trips their mind will have a little reset and give them a boost to continue to come to school. This way children will possibly be more motivated to learn more and do work in class helping the teachers have an easier time in class with students.
Therefore, students need to have more field trips and spirit weeks. It contributes to their social experiences and learning process.
