News from the Farm Trip

Dear Friends,

Thanks to Mr. Krik and our friends from Dexter School, we all got here on the farm safe and sound (www.farmsforcitykids.org).  If you’d like to send along any messages, you can send them to us care of Mr. Finley jfinley@epiphanyschool.com.  Here are some of our comments:

How do You Match the Hype?

With so much buzz this year surrounding the Farm Trip, I found myself extremely worried not to let these children down.  I had 6^th graders asking me to go again, 5^th graders asking me farm questions in science class, 7^th graders asking to go the week before the trip, and I even had some graduates ask me to go.  Where did all the buzz come from?  Well, it came from the students and teachers that went last year and from the 5^th graders eagerly awaiting Spring Break.  So how do I match the hype?  Well, to match the hype, you get a group of enthusiastic, intelligent, hard working, and hilarious children and throw in some pretty cool teachers and some animals, and we are on our way.  I continued to worry whether or not the weather would affect their spirits and would the work wear them down.  I wasn’t hearing any hints either way, but it all was clear on the Thursday.  As we woke up tired and hungry ready to tackle another day, we glanced out the window to see snow flurries.  Can you believe it?  Snow flurries in late April!  One of the jobs of the day was to wash the sap from the buckets they use to collect it.  I’m minding my business watching them scrub when suddenly I was splashed with cold water.  Mind you, it’s between 30 and 40 degrees out with snow flurries.  Before you know it, I was splashed again, and again, and again.  I was soaking wet outside with a group of my students laughing at me.  What did I do next?  I did what any teacher would have done in that situation…I splashed them all back, even the ones laughing.  It turned into a huge water fight!  We were all soaked, but this is what made my trip worth going.  This trip gives students the chance to see the other sides of teachers which make us more “real” and more “human” to them.  These are the trips that build the trusting relationships that then carry over into the classroom.  That day, the students could have easily quit and complained about the weather; instead they had amazing attitudes and were looking to have some fun.  – Mr. Jones

Day Five

Hello Family, I’m back at Epiphany.  What a week!  Now that I’ve learned how important it is to do chores, I will never complain about doing things for you guys.  It was pretty fun with the animals, but I still missed you.  The food there was excellent, and I slept in a comfy bed.  I played a lot of basketball, and after that I would go do activities such as answering questions in my journal, cleaning up manure, and stacking woods at the sugar house, which is where they make their maple syrup with the evaporator, a machine that boils down the tree sap.  One thing I have to tell you is that the syrup is like no other.  It’s the best!  Please come pick me up now!—Evander

Day Four

Hi, Mom.  This is Valentina.  I got to pet a horse yesterday and fed it apple slices.  The horse was pretty and very tall with hair that was brown and black.  I collected eggs from the hen house.  The eggs were brown and warm because they were freshly laid.  I got to milk a cow with my bare hands.  It was fun, but it felt too gushy.  (Normally, they milk with machines.)  I fed a baby calf with grain and milk, and I had to take care of that baby calf too.  Its name is Infinity.  I also got to go inside the pen with the goats.  I had to refill their water, and then I got to feed them by hand.  They were jumpy and playful.  There was also a pig named Clementine, and she weighed 600lbs.  We got to pet her, and she kept on walking around.  We also fed the baby chicks and ducklings, which live under heat lamps in the barn, and they were scared of us.  I also got to carry a rabbit.  His name was Lucky, and he was very, very soft and comfortable.  Bye, Mom.  I love you. I’ll see you in two days.—Valentina

Ok, so this will be my third time going on the farm trip and I would have to say nothing changed but my knowledge about the animal’s and the farm life. This year I am working more with a worker name Cat. We do a lot of farm chores for an example breeding the cows .   —Rudy

I miss my family, but when I leave here I am going to miss this too.  I have accomplished lots of things.  For example, I’ve petted lots of cows (dirty cows!) and cleaning up lots of poop.   I also did things I never thought I would do.  I fed apple slices to horses, fed goats right out of my hand, and touched a pig.  The cheese they make here is really good, and I hope someone can buy me some.  (Get the hint, Mr. Finley?)  I have been a good team member, helping others in our chores, and they are taking good care of me here.  (PS I know this is going on the school website so, “Hi, Miriam!”)—Miriam

At first, I wasn’t supposed to come on the Farm Trip. Fortunately, a spot opened up and I was able to go. At first, I thought that I’d be upset that I would be missing my week off where I could go home and spend time with family. As time crept closer to the day we had to leave for the trip, I found myself becoming more and more excited. Every now and then, Mr. Jones approached me with a story from last year’s trip and how much fun it was. After the first day, I realized I made the right choice. Not only do I see the children learn in a whole different way, but I am able to connect and interact in a way that is not possible at school. I have been able to really see each student’s wonderful personalities. Like each night, my bunk (Erik, DevoJe’, and Jacob) hide right before I get in the room even though the room is too small to hide in or how they all wanted to read their Skills’ break book before we slept. The children also have a great sense of humor, like when DevonJe’ thought he lost his shorts and was looking frantically all over for them, but when I ask him where he saw them last, he started to laugh and realize they were on his body underneath his sweats. Every student was very willing to help, for example when we needed volunteers to clean almost every hand goes up. Also Jocelenn and Najha both helped sweep and mop the mud room during the free time because they did not want to leave it mess for the people who own the place. I am having a blast and learning so much along side with the students, which makes this experience even more special because I am learning with the students and they are not necessarily learning from me. I feel closer to each student because we are in a more relax and comfortable environment because we sit and play Uno or Spit or for example when half the students threw buckets of waters on me when we were cleaning the buckets. This is a great experience, and I am glad I came. Mr. Crupi

I’m thinking about tomorrow.  It will be really hard to leave the farm because I don’t want to go home.  I want to here because I love taking care of all the animals.  I also love all the activities.  (Of course, I miss my family.  Maybe they could come live here, as long as they were good farmers!)  I want to stay more and more, and I am sad about leaving.  I am very thankful that I was picked to go on this trip!  Love, Destiny!—Destiny

So far, the farm trip has been really fun, and I know there is more to come.  The animals are really nice, especially Black Jack, the calf I take care of.  My favorite dairy cow is Nestle.  I can recognize her because she’s the oldest cow in the barn.  I also like the big pig, Clementine, because she’s the only pig I’ve ever seen and she is really, really big.  —Erik

—Ms. DeBarros

Day Three

Today is day three, and I did something I never thought I would.  I went inside a cage with three goats to get their bowl and refill their food.  I felt like they were going to kill, but I ended up having fun.  I saw the biggest pig ever.  She was 600 lbs.  Her name is Clementine, and I petted her.  Chores are over, now, and it’s almost time for breakfast.  I am hungry and can’t wait to taste that bacon, but I hope it’s not Clementine. –Makda

Hi, Mom!  Just back from chores…Suraj and I worked as a team filling a huge cart with grain pellets for the heifers.  We also took the heifers outside the barn  and cleaned the stalls to make their bedding clean.  Amanda, our teacher here at the farm, said that we did so good that we got to climb up into the hay loft and throw down big bales of hay.  It was a blast.  I love you, and I can’t wait to see you.—Igor

Day Two

This is Day Two of the Farm Trip.  Yesterday was fun.  We had spaghetti for dinner, and after dinner we had free time.  Everyone was playing games, and everyone was laughing and playing fair.  I was playing “Apples-to-Apples,” a card game in which you try to make people laugh, and Ms. DeBarros and Miriam need to know that they are not funny.  Mr. Crupi kept winning because people kept picking his cards, but poor Ms. DeBarros, no one wanted her cards, except me.—Vany

Right now, it’s breakfast time, and I am very hungry because before breakfast I had to feed the heifer cows, which are cows who haven’t had babies yet.  I also had unleash the cows, clean the dairy barn, put hay out for cows, clean out their stalls, and spread fresh sawdust.  Some of the cows were being stubborn.  I’m about to eat now.  Talk to you later.—Miriam

Day One

Hi, Mom!  I am having a fun time here already.  Here is what I did today.  I collected eggs from chickens.  The chickens poked at us.  It hurt but not a lot, and we all laughed, but the best part was taking care of the young baby calves.  We fed them grain pellets and their mother’s milk in pails.  I love you guys so much, and I miss you.  Have a great vacation.  I love you. Bye!—Jocelenn

I’m already having the experience of a lifetime, but tell my family I love them.  I’ve seen cows and goats and chickens.  We’re staying in a beautiful barn that looks like a hotel.—Makda

Mom & Dad & Kaite, I miss you but not Hobie.  This place is amazing.  We have come a long way, and I know we’re going to have a lot of work to do.  The dorm is colorful, and I’m in a room with Makda, Valentina, Najha, and Ms. DeBarros.  Right now, I’m in the common room; it’s mammoth.  I love you, Mom & Dad & Kaite (and O.K. maybe Hobie too).—Nikki

The Farm is a great experience to show my responsibilities for the animals on the farm and it teaches me how to take care of certain animals and I miss you mom also Zariya.—Ni-Asya

The farm is a really fun place for hard-working people and for people who love animals.  It is a great experience to interact with the animals on the farms.  For example, I got to feed Clementine, a 600lb pregnant pig.—Destiny