K2 Field Trip 2011

27^th, Thursday – Preparation day for P’s “school field trip.” I got busy in the kitchen with the Chicken ala King that I had drummed up to try making this week.

28^th Friday – Another school field trip today! This would probably 2^nd or 3^rd school activity that P and I had attended that required us to get up early and a day together somewhere. Since it is a new school, I wasn’t sure how it will turn out. After today, I was able to compare how the previous school activities fared against this latest one.

Here are some key points:

1. Itinerary – the choices of places were somewhat predictable but useful. Most were suitable for preschoolers save for one. I’m not really sure what the underlying theme was it was like a typical “pinoy” educational trip where everybody was whisked from one place to another without much explanation or information. For this trip, here is the list and how it turn out:
1. Capitol (Palawan Heritage and V-Governor’s Office) – I really have no clear idea why this place was included since nothing much happen here. It was a land-and-run mostly. The Heritage room (?) is not that big enough to accommodate the 50 plus kids and adults in the trip. It should have arranged to divide the group a bit.

The Provincial Gym was next and everybody managed to get in. We were allowed to roam and try most of the equipment freely. It was fun for most. (Although it made me think if they do clean the rubberized floor after everyone has trampled on it. I guess the gym’s not generally one the cleanest places to be.)

Last place to be explored was the V-Gov’s office. I am not really sure if the office tenant there would appreciate the way the kids played on the swivel chair and inspected every interesting decor in the luxurious office. The office struck me as uninhabited. It seems like nobody uses that place much except for official functions but not where the real action takes place.

2. City Library – As I know how small the place inside is, I didn’t get in anymore. The kids went in and were out just in a few minutes. I was hoping that some short storytelling took place at all. It made me wonder if the library made any impact on them.

3. Palawan Museum – Another land-and-run place. Most of the people just paid, got in, look a bit downstairs, dashed upstairs and explored the small place as quickly as they can. Again, I am not really sure if there was anything new they picked up save for the strange things they’ve seen. There wasn’t any guide around but a guy who is in charge of cleaning the second floor I think.

4. Plaza Cuartel – Nothing much of explanation for this place except for the memorial marker that has been recently erected there (2009). Without that one, whoever that will ask what the place is about will have to suffice with whatever the little information the teacher can provide. For preschoolers, it’s almost something that they may not grasp very well yet.
   

Memorial Marker at Plaza Cuartel

5. Baker’s Hill – This is a generally good place for kids. There is the playground for kinesthetics and animals (mostly birds) for science. Bonus part is the array of food available. Stayed there for a while, just almost enough time if only we’re starting to get hungry to head down to the next stop.

A lucky shot of a peacock in full display of its grandeur.


Another kind of peacock who happens to be asleep when we took the photo.
Or was it really asleep or dying? I sure hope it's not the latter.

6. Mitra’s Ranch – A regular place for picnic, sight-seeing and space to run around some more for the kiddos. Too bad that there was also a little more than usual people around and I felt that we didn’t stay long enough.

7. Demo Bee Farm – Good place for kids although a little out of the way and awful dusty road to get there. The only place in the list where there were some people who really explained the place to the kids.

2. Logistics – Three buses were provided as everybody has paid quite handsomely for the price. The drivers were pretty good at their job (parking very close to the stops, reasonable speed and mindful of the little hands and head sticking out of the windows).

3. Overall Educational Relevance and Impact – As I had described each place above, some of these choices were quite muddled in terms of relevance to preschoolers without the proper person to really explain or simply share information about each place. Yet, there were really places that stand out from the rest.