St Joseph Catholic School



4th - Olympia 6th - Outdoor School 7th - Boeing 8th - Religious History	Field Trips Students take many field trips to further enhance the curriculum being taught by the teachers. These trips provide hands-on, interactive experiences that bring to life the information students learn in the classroom. The following are just a few of the field trips taken annually. 4th grade – OLYMPIA Fourth grade students study Washington State government and take a trip to Olympia, the state capital. In class, students learn about the three branches of government, how a law becomes a bill, the State symbols and facts of Washington State. The trip to the State Capitol in Olympia enhances classroom study. Students visit both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They also participate in a mock trial at the State Supreme Court and learn about laws from State Congressmen and women. 6th grade – OUTDOOR SCHOOL St. Joseph School Environmental Education program is usually scheduled in the spring of each year at Camp Hamilton, a 570-acre site in Monroe, WA. This Catholic Youth Organization provides a residential outdoor environmental education experience through the use of hands-on exploration, as well as investigative and interdisciplinary teaching methods. Sixth grade students and parent chaperones along with teachers attend this 4 day/ 3-night event. This is an exciting time for students as they have opportunities to meet new people and experience God’s creation. The program’s goals are to inspire each participant to take the values, memories and experiences learned at camp, and apply them to their own lives to benefit themselves, their communities, and the world around them. 7th grade – BOEING CHALLENGER MISSION Each spring the seventh grade classes from St. Joseph School take a trip to the Boeing Corporation in Seattle, WA. The Challenger Center for Space Science and Education was designed to instill and increase student enthusiasm for math, science and technology while fostering team-building and communication skills. The day begins with a brief tour of the Boeing Museum where the students climb into the SR-71A Blackbird reconnaissance plane to learn about the control panel and cockpit specialties. Students visit the Air Traffic Control Tower exhibit, which displays the extensive system of communication between pilots and controllers making flight one of the safest modes of transportation. Students tour a retired Air Force One that carried Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon around the world. But the highlight of the tour is the mission simulation to Mars. The Mission to Mars program was donated by the surviving family members of the crew of Challenger 51-L, who lost their lives on January 28, 1986. To start the mission simulation, students divide into six different teams: remote team, probe team, data team, navigation team, communication team and isolation team. They must figure out how to either land or take off from Mars with a mechanical difficulty. Mission control has all the instructions to defuse the problem but need to communicate it clearly to the astronauts in the probe. The astronauts have abbreviated notes and must rely on fellow students in Mission Control for instruction. Students work together to solve the problem in a short amount of time so their Mission to Mars is successful. This trip to Boeing is one the students remember for years to come! 8th grade – RELIGIOUS HISTORY FIELD TRIPS The 8th Grade has the unique opportunity of having Father Hans Olson teach their weekly Religion lessons. He addresses issues related to the Sacraments, Saints, Church History and other topics. For the Church History portion, Fr. Olson focuses on the rich heritage the Catholic Church has in the Pacific Northwest. To that end, the class takes seven field trips to various sites in Washington and Oregon. The historic journey begins at Saint James Cathedral in Vancouver, WA. Students tour the Church and grounds surrounding the structure. The next trip is to St. James Cemetery, also in Vancouver. There, students visit the gravesites of many missionaries who brought the faith to this part of America. During the Christmas Season, the class takes in the festive atmosphere of The Grotto in Portland, OR. They spend a morning on a complete tour of this special shrine saying prayers and enjoying the tranquil nature of the gardens. In January, 8th grade students visit The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – Saint Mary’s in downtown Portland. This church is the seat of the Archdiocese of Portland. Next on the tour is St. Paul’s Church in St. Paul, OR, the site of one of the very first Catholic Churches in the Oregon territory. The class also spends some time with the students who attend St. Paul’s School. In March, students travel to Mount Angel, OR and tour the Cathedral of St. Mary and the Seminary on the hill overlooking the valley below. Their last trip is a short one to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. There students engage in an interactive tour of the entire fort as Father Olson recounts the Catholic heritage of numerous priests, missionaries and lay Catholics who helped to settle this part of the United States.
│ CONTACT US │ HOME │ © 2009 St Joseph Catholic School. All rights reserved.

Field Trips

Students take many field trips to further enhance the curriculum being taught by the teachers. These trips provide hands-on, interactive experiences that bring to life the information students learn in the classroom. The following are just a few of the field trips taken annually.

4th grade – OLYMPIA

Fourth grade students study Washington State government and take a trip to Olympia, the state capital. In class, students learn about the three branches of government, how a law becomes a bill, the State symbols and facts of Washington State. The trip to the State Capitol in Olympia enhances classroom study. Students visit both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They also participate in a mock trial at the State Supreme Court and learn about laws from State Congressmen and women.

6th grade – OUTDOOR SCHOOL

St. Joseph School Environmental Education program is usually scheduled in the spring of each year at Camp Hamilton, a 570-acre site in Monroe, WA. This Catholic Youth Organization provides a residential outdoor environmental education experience through the use of hands-on exploration, as well as investigative and interdisciplinary teaching methods. Sixth grade students and parent chaperones along with teachers attend this 4 day/ 3-night event. This is an exciting time for students as they have opportunities to meet new people and experience God’s creation. The program’s goals are to inspire each participant to take the values, memories and experiences learned at camp, and apply them to their own lives to benefit themselves, their communities, and the world around them.

7th grade – BOEING CHALLENGER MISSION

Each spring the seventh grade classes from St. Joseph School take a trip to the Boeing Corporation in Seattle, WA. The Challenger Center for Space Science and Education was designed to instill and increase student enthusiasm for math, science and technology while fostering team-building and communication skills. The day begins with a brief tour of the Boeing Museum where the students climb into the SR-71A Blackbird reconnaissance plane to learn about the control panel and cockpit specialties. Students visit the Air Traffic Control Tower exhibit, which displays the extensive system of communication between pilots and controllers making flight one of the safest modes of transportation. Students tour a retired Air Force One that carried Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon around the world. But the highlight of the tour is the mission simulation to Mars. The Mission to Mars program was donated by the surviving family members of the crew of Challenger 51-L, who lost their lives on January 28, 1986. To start the mission simulation, students divide into six different teams: remote team, probe team, data team, navigation team, communication team and isolation team. They must figure out how to either land or take off from Mars with a mechanical difficulty. Mission control has all the instructions to defuse the problem but need to communicate it clearly to the astronauts in the probe. The astronauts have abbreviated notes and must rely on fellow students in Mission Control for instruction. Students work together to solve the problem in a short amount of time so their Mission to Mars is successful. This trip to Boeing is one the students remember for years to come!

8th grade – RELIGIOUS HISTORY FIELD TRIPS

The 8th Grade has the unique opportunity of having Father Hans Olson teach their weekly Religion lessons. He addresses issues related to the Sacraments, Saints, Church History and other topics. For the Church History portion, Fr. Olson focuses on the rich heritage the Catholic Church has in the Pacific Northwest. To that end, the class takes seven field trips to various sites in Washington and Oregon.

The historic journey begins at Saint James Cathedral in Vancouver, WA. Students tour the Church and grounds surrounding the structure. The next trip is to St. James Cemetery, also in Vancouver. There, students visit the gravesites of many missionaries who brought the faith to this part of America. During the Christmas Season, the class takes in the festive atmosphere of The Grotto in Portland, OR. They spend a morning on a complete tour of this special shrine saying prayers and enjoying the tranquil nature of the gardens.

In January, 8th grade students visit The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – Saint Mary’s in downtown Portland. This church is the seat of the Archdiocese of Portland. Next on the tour is St. Paul’s Church in St. Paul, OR, the site of one of the very first Catholic Churches in the Oregon territory. The class also spends some time with the students who attend St. Paul’s School. In March, students travel to Mount Angel, OR and tour the Cathedral of St. Mary and the Seminary on the hill overlooking the valley below. Their last trip is a short one to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. There students engage in an interactive tour of the entire fort as Father Olson recounts the Catholic heritage of numerous priests, missionaries and lay Catholics who helped to settle this part of the United States.