Field Trip!

Thank you to all parents for helping your child prepare for the field trip so all the students were well fed and watered with comfortable shoes. We had a great time and I am sure you will also reap the benefits as your children will probably be heading off to bed early tonight!

A very special thanks to our volunteers. Without you this trip could not happen. You helped keep a vigilant eye on your group of students and engaged them in meaningful conversations about bridges. Your interest and enthusiasm kept the students engaged and focussed. The photos I have of you are truly wonderful and capture these precious moments of conversation. I can't publish them as I did not ask for consent though. I did sneak in a few that do not show faces, so I hope you do not mind!

I do have a few photos to share though:

A gusset.

 Peace Bridge - a helix truss bridge

 So proud of how the students kept to one side of the bridge, being thoughtful of other users!

 We exercised great self control by walking past this park to continue on with our bridge walk!

 My personal favorite - there is something nostalgic about arch bridges!

 More walking! There was lots of wildlife to see, from squirrels to wood peckers to geese!

 How many arches?

 The students worked hard and took their job to sketch and 'See, Think, Wonder' (Thinking Routine), very seriously.

 I eavesdropped in on many interesting conversations about bridges that the wonderful volunteers facilitated!

 And another conversation!

 And another! It was awesome to listen in. Thank you for helping all the students!

 What name do you know this bridge by? We had great conversations about what and why the bridge is now called (apart from being a great example of a truss bridge!)

 We looked at how the metal was joined and remarked that the rust might indicate this bridge was affected by the flood and/or meant the bridge was very old. These thoughts all came directly from the students. When conversations like these happen, we know we have done a good job of teaching the students to be thinkers!

 We got hot - but we kept on walking (after a sketch break!)

 Don't forget to look up!

 This is a glimpse go St. Vlad's through the trees.

It was such a lot of fun to have a day out with the kids and hear their connections to Downtown or watch them marvel at the sights for the first time. I think we all feel more connected to Calgary than we did before. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful and vibrant city. Some students expressed that they would love to take you on a tour and explain their new understanding of bridges (and visit a park or two!!)