Maui Field Trip with the Lana'i Class of 2020

Friday, September 21, 2012 was a great day.  The entire Lana'i Class of 2020, teachers, parents, and I took a field trip to Maui.  We met at the school bright and early at 7 AM, and didn't wind up getting back to school until after 7 PM.  This blog entry will take you through our exciting day from start to finish.

Before I go into our trip, I have to say a little about how it was able to come together.   Last year the students and I were lucky enough to be in Sandy Patterson's 4th grade classroom, where her passion for creativity sparked our interest to write song lyrics, and a lot of what we have been able to accomplish is due to Mrs. Patterson's support and guidance.  In addition to everything she has already done for us, Sandy made a personal donation of $900 to cover all transportation costs for the trip.  A huge thank you to her, and I know that investment will pay off for many years to come.

Another thank you to Maui County Councilmember Riki Hokama and his staff for helping to set up our day by providing free MEO bus service throughout the day, free lunch, and the opportunity to perform.  We are extremely grateful, and know our cost for the trip would have been much higher without the help. Castle and Cooke also provided free shuttle service to and from the boat harbor here on Lana'i, so mahalo to them as well.

Now, here are the events of our fun-filled day:

6:45 A.M.  To our suprise, Kerri and I arrive at school to find six students already there waiting for us (they didn't have to be there until 7), and apparently a few were there since 6 A.M!

 

8 A.M.  We leave Lana'i on the Expeditions ferry bound for Lahaina, Maui under smooth conditions.  Only a few kids get a little seasick, and by the time we arrive on Maui, everyone has recovered and is ready to go.

 

9:15-10:00 A.M.  Travel by MEO bus (provided by Councilmember Hokama) to our first stop, the Council Chambers.  On the way, we have an unexpectedly quiet ride thanks to a few very helpful and vocal chaperones, Shelly Barfield and Duane Ozoa.  If we ever have another field trip, we sure hope they can come again!
 

10:00 A.M.  Upon arriving at the Council building, we are met and escorted by John Min, who works with Councilmember Hokama.  We are loaded into two elevators, and after three or four trips up and down, everyone has made it to the 8th floor.  We are instructed to wait quietly for about ten minutes while a speaker finishes their testimony.   

 

10:15-10:45 A.M.  My favorite part of the trip.  We are called into the Councilchambers, and introduced as the Lana'i Class of 2020.

The council honors us with a resolution, and shows two of our music videos, "Every Day is Earth Day," and "Singing to the World" while the class sings along. Every one of the students' names is read, and it's the most inspiring, cool part of the entire day.   I hope to be able to view and post the entire ceremony on Youtube or put it on a DVD for the students (it was filmed by a local public access station, Akaku TV).

I am asked to give a few remarks (which I found out just the day before).  We also have two student representatives, Brooke Belista and Elijah Gima-Maltezo, each give a short speech.  They both do great--my favorite line is when Elijah says, "We used to be known as the naughty class, but now we're the awesome class!"

 

After the ceremony is over, we have the chance to take a group picture with the Councilmembers, and get a few really nice shots:

11 A.M.  We hurry down eight flights of stairs: Maui's first public electric charge station is being dedicated, and we are the closing performance.   We arrive just on time to hear Alan Arakawa, the Mayor of Maui County, give us a Proclamation and introduce our group. 

Here's the video of our Proclamation, and performance of "Every Day is Earth Day:"

 

11:30-12:30       Thanks to Councilmember Hokama, we are taken to the awesome Hui Aloha playground and provided free Bento lunches. 

The kids were very well behaved and quiet throughout the morning, so having lunch at the playground is a perfect way to get their energy out.

1 PM         We arrive at Maalaea and visit the "Story of Hawaii" museum.  Thanks to one of our chaperones, Travis Turqueza, we are all given complimentary admission and given a free tour.  It's a great educational experience, plus we all get to cool down in the airconditioning.

2 PM          We perform "Every Day is Earth Day" and "One World" (a new song/video we are working on) at the Retail Plaza at the Maui Ocean Center.

2:15-4 PM      Groups tour the aquarium with their chaperones.  Thankfully, we are able to have two adults per every five to six students--great parent and teacher support!  The highlight is the underwater tunnel and watching the divers feed the sharks and big fish.

4-4:30 PM         On the bus ride back to Lahaina, most of the kids fall asleep.  The three girls in front of us:  Kishia, Samantha, and Mika, all have the same idea.   One of the parents also reminds us maybe we should be more prepared for the boat ride back (see picture) than we were on the way over.

 

4:30-5:30 PM           I pick up hamburgers and cheeseburgers for the students, parents, and chaperones as they wait under the Banyan tree.

5:45-6:30 PM           On the boat ride back to Lana'i, most of the students are upstairs on the outside, while Kerri and I fall asleep downstairs.

7:15 PM                  We finally arrive back at school, where parents pick up the students.

What a day!