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The Field Trip

DIANE SCHAEFER SPECIAL TO THE APPLETREE

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to Hebron, the children took
turns telling a continuing story
and sang songs beginning with
different letters. Besides taking
a tour of the cave, many of the
children recited Psalms or spe-
cial prayers. Last year, Shani's
class went to a bee farm,
where they dressed in bee-
keeper outfits, saw bees make
honey and watched jars being
filled in the honey factory.
The field trip is such a ubiq-
uitous part of Israeli life that it
is not uncommon to board a
bus to work in the morning
and, halfway along the route,
be held up for what seems a
quarter of an hour as an entire
class of children boards to
travel to the day's field-trip
destination. Usually
three or four small field
trips are held each year,
with a large one at the
end.
Starting about fifth
grade, field trips are
planned for more distant
destinations and often ex-
tend overnight. Along with
their sleeping bags, children
may be expected to bring food
for two days.
Field trips continue through
the upper grades, until a child
graduates from high school.
While the type and amount of
provisions prepared may
change as the student grows
older, considering how school
field trips have become part of
the national culture it's clear
the excitement remains. ❑

Diane Schaefer lives with her husband, Akiva, in Neve Yaakov Mizrach. When not caring for her two

small children, Mrs. Schaefer works with computers at an international company based in Jerusalem.

She knew if she got just
half of what she wanted
for her birthday, she'd
need to get organized.

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FEBRU AR Y

1AT hen Yehuda
mile to the fire station. Because
the firemen would not accept
was not yet 4,
payment for giving the children
and his first of-
a tour, the teacher baked them
ficial year of
a cake.
nursery school was drawing to
The field trip isn't restricted
an end, his class of 25 boys
to any age group or one time of
went on a field trip. The morn-
year. Yesterday, a colleague's 9-
ing adventure, to nearby
year-old went with his fourth-
Moshav Beit Meir to visit the
grade class to Mount Tabor —
petting zoo and farm, was an-
in the dead of an exceptionally
ticipated weeks in advance.
sunny Israeli winter. The bus-
When the big day arrived,
load of children left at about 9
Yehuda was bundled off
a.m., returning 12 hours later.
with a sun hat, his first canteen
Bigger children bring larger ap-
and a backpack filled with as-
petites, and Eli took along a gal-
sorted carefully selected junk
food, along with his regular 10
o'clock sandwich. He returned
at 1 p.m., slightly sunburned,
filled with stories of tractor
rides, goats and other
child-friendly animals.
It was his initiation
into yet another Is-
raeli educational ritu-
al.
/40/01 1 1181it tr A
Based on conversa-
tions I've had with oth-
•••"7", ' ■
er mothers, it appears
that some children are in-
troduced to the field trip at an
even earlier age than Yehuda.
Take Michal, now 5. When
lon of water and two
she was a mere 2, her private
peanut-butter sandwiches, in
nursery-school class went on
addition to a backpack filled
two field trips — one to the lo-
with
junk food. The 60 chil-
cal fire station and one to the
dren spent the two-and-one-
dentist down the street, where
half-hour
drive singing and
the children each took a turn
telling folk tales.
sitting in the dentist's chair.
Last month, Eli's sister, 7-
Michal still remembers details
year-old Shani, went with her
of the first field trip, including
second-grade class to the Cave
the driver and other passengers
of the Patriarchs. On the bus
in the car who took her the

15