Last school year, our fourth grade teachers embarked on a new undertaking to make California history more real for their students. They were off to California's capitol!

Students visited the places they read about in their California History books.

Peyton D. recalls many experiences including the trip to our State Capitol, touring Sutter’s Mill, and seeing first hand what life was like for the Forty-niners. Panning for gold and making a pouch to hold it was another highlight.

Michael M. adds that seeing and actually holding the guns, used long ago was quite an experience. Then, seeing the modern tazer in the Governor’s office was fascinating! Panning for gold at the original gold discovery site was a favorite for Michael.

This school year, the trip will expand to overnight. The longer trip will give a greater experience and will give the students more time at each location. The students will visit Old Town Sacramento this year which they really didn’t get to do last year. Like last year, they will visit the Railroad Museum and the State Capital. While at the capitol, the students may have the opportunity to meet with our state assemblyperson. Who knows? Maybe, the governor will be in his office.

The next day will include a trip to Gold rush country where students will pan for gold, make a leather craft, visit with prospectors, and even see the cabin where James Marshall lived while building the sawmill. They will stand at the site on the American River where gold was discovered and see the replica of the Sutter’s sawmill that was being built. This year, the children will picnic in Coloma. Who knows? Maybe, they will dine on the miner’s specialty, ‘sowbelly and beans’.

Fourth Graders have a year filled with learning about California and this trip is a great ending for a fantastic year. What blessings for our students to have educators who care that the students have the richest possible education and are able to see how God has blessed us to live in this great state.