6th Grade Field Trip!

Yesterday was the first field trip of the school year, and I was asked to go along with the 6th graders to take pictures for the 6th grade yearbook!  Unfortunately, Okk was asked to go along with the 1st graders to a library (BORING!)... but Loola and I got to stick together all day, which was really nice for us!

We actually took the local buses to get to the place we were going, and each of the kids had to pay their own way!  Gotta love Korean field trips!

We took the bus about 10 minutes and then walked down a street hill towards the ocean! 

It was another gorgeous day... perfect for some walking!

After about 15 minutes of walking, we made it to our destination, the brand new Maritime Environment Research & Training Institute!  Not exactly the most exciting field trip destination, but whatever!  It beat being out of the classroom! 

We helped the students get settled into the auditorium where they listened to a guy talk about marine life and how to preserve the ocean...

Then Loola, Hanna and I sat down and relaxed in the back row...

...while the kids played games with the presenter! 

Then we realized we didn't really need to be in there with them, so we (the 6th grade teachers, myself, and Loola) went into the staff room and drank coffee together!  haha!  It was turning out to be quite the relaxing field trip!

After about 45 minutes, we were back on duty!  

We walked the kids through the museum...

...snapped pictures of them, and with them!

...watched them play high tech, motion censored, games...

... snapped more pictures...

... and painted and named our very own marine life...

Then, we walked the kids into the research center, where the researchers taught the kids how to clean the ocean and showed them machines they have built to rid it of fuel (remember, we live in a port city, so the water is loaded with oil - yuck!)

The researchers chose 6 students to go back into the dressing room...

... and get decked out in the research garb!

Then, they walked onto the research bridge and poured bowls of oil into the water below...

... so the researchers could lower their new oil cleaning machine to show them how they clean the oil out of the ocean!  Exciting, right?!  uggghhhh

Then, the kids were handed hot rocks that had been processed through a heat and cleaning machine.  They had to walk them to the other side of the building and drop them in a pile.  Completely pointless in my opinion, but hey, whatever!

finally, it was lunchtime!  This is my favorite time during the field trips because everyone is in a good mood and there's lots of food to go around! 

This is a typical student lunch!  Kimbap!

Parents always prepare the teachers lunches!  How sweet is that?  This time, we had 3 different types of kimbap, tons of fruit, cookies, kimchi, soup, and yummy drinks!

After lunch, we walked the kids down to the water and let them run wild!  But, not before taking the infamous class pictures!  In Korea, we don't say, "This is Mrs. Hanna's class"  We say, this is "Class 6-2."  (6th grade - class 2)  

This is 6-1

This is class 6-3.  How awesome is it that there are only 18-20 students in each 6th grade class at my school!  I'll answer that for you, "It's REALLY awesome!"

Me with two of my favorites, Min-Ju and Cho-Ah

Can you spot the blondie?

"I'm the king of the world!!"

There was a little Korean style pavilion that we hung out under for about an hour...

The kids were sooo well behaved all day!  I only had to reprimand 1, and it's because he was being loud!  I swear I have the best students at my school.

For whatever reason, the kids have been really into trying to shuffle lately!  They're absolutely terrible!  haha

My initial reaction was to say, "No, no!  Get down right now!"  But, after looking around and seeing that the other teachers didn't care, I just went with it!  I thought about how it's good training for when I'm a mom.  I have to relax!!! 

We ended the field trip with an informal talent show, for anyone who wanted to show off!  These two girls did a dance they've been practicing in dance class!  (Check out the scream mask!)  I'm telling you... anything goes in Korea! 

We jumped on a bus and returned back to the school's bus stop where the students gathered around, bowed to us, and waved good-bye!  It was a great day with my kiddos!