Exploration: Back and Better than Ever

The first Expo trips of the year took place over two weeks from Oct 17- 27, and are the first Expo of four for the 2022-2023 school year.  These trips come after a nearly two-year long absence of field trips due to COVID-19. 

Each grade went on a different trip. 6th graders went to a rooftop farm, while 7th graders went on a graffiti tour, and 8th graders went on a trip to the Statue of Liberty.

6th graders visited the Brooklyn Grange either at the Brooklyn Navy Yard or their Sunset park location and worked with City Growers. The field trips gathered a mixed response. 

One anonymous student from 605 said, “My experience was amazing. The class was able to eat plants. We were able to see an old beehive with lots of honey, soft wax, and lots of bees.” 

However, a student from 604 said, “It was smelly. The bus ride was too long, and I was freaked out by the chickens. The plants I sampled were nasty and too spicy. I had a horrible time.” 

According to 6th grade expo teacher Mr Dych said that “The 601 trip was a great experience that day.”

7th graders went on a graffiti tour led by a guide who was an expert on the topic. The classes had different tour guides, all of which seemed awesome. They learned about the history of graffiti, including how kids started it. They also learned about some of the major artists in graffiti, and some ‘slang,’ or its ‘code. Some students thought the experience was fun and informative while others thought it was boring. 

An anonymous  7th grader said that “I enjoyed the tour even though it felt a little long and we only explored a small area.”

The tour guide talked about different graffiti artists and how influential they were in street art today. Overall there were mixed reviews on how the trip went and though some thought it boring, some enjoyed the trip and are excited for more later this school year.

8th graders took the subway and a ferry to Liberty Island, where they split off into groups to climb the 176 stairs to the pedestal below the Statue of Liberty. 

Saniya Wugalter of 805 said, “The expo trip was fun and educational.” 

Alex Chau of 805 said, “It was fun because we got to run up 42 flights of stairs and run down all the way. Plus we were running and screaming.”

But not everyone enjoyed the trip. An anonymous 8th grader said, “It was bad. It was disgusting. And it’s not really cool. I wish it was higher up, it was just a small 3-story building. And more elevators please.” 

Esma Ada of 805 said, “The ferry was the best part, and it had a better view than the pedestal.” 

Other interviewees also agreed that the stairs were a waste of time. Another 8th grader said that “It was good, but the weather was annoying and the Statue of Liberty was actually tiny.”

Some 8th graders did have an educational experience. In social studies, students and 8th grade social studies teacher Ms. Fares had an interesting conversation about the origins of the Statue of Liberty and its meaning, and the values it represents.

By the exploration classrooms, there are many pictures of all three expo trips. The next trips will be from December 5th to December 16th.

All in all, the expo trips this year have started off strong so far!