Field Trips Home / Student Life / Field Trips Starting in Moyenne Section/Pre-K, our students go on field trips in and around Portland throughout the school year. Some favorite places include the Oregon Children’s Theater, OMSI, the Chinese Gardens, Smith & Bybee Lakes, and Kruger’s Farm. Younger children have in-school “trips.” Examples include OMSI bringing fascinating animals to the classroom and Penny’s Puppets delighting our preschool children with a puppet show. As they get older, our students also take several overnight trips from CE1/2nd grade to CM2/5th grade. We believe that real growth happens when our students are immersed in diverse situations and experiences. The OMSI Outdoor Science Schools and Canoe Island provide meaningful learning opportunities that enrich the classroom curriculum. Shorter trips also prepare our students for their trip to France in their CM2 year. This is a celebration and culmination of the students’ study of French over the past 5+ years. CE1/2nd Grade: OMSI Camp Gray During this one-night trip to Camp Gray in Newport, Oregon, CE1 students are led by OMSI educators in topics such as early Oregon skills, orienteering, marine mammals, and weather and climate. Other favorite activities are the campfire and a night hike to the beach. This first overnight trip serves to strengthen the bond between classmates. Our students return to school a more cohesive group. CE2/3rd Grade: OMSI Camp Hancock In their CE2 year, our students go on a two-night trip to Hancock Field Station near Fossil, Oregon. This desert area has fossils, canyons, and a conservation space. At camp, kids learn about fossils, animals like reptiles and bugs, deserts, and ancient cultures. Teachers from OMSI make the lessons fun and match them to what students like to learn. There’s also time to rest in cabins and play with friends. CM1/4th Grade: Canoe Island French Camp For their CM1 trip, L’Etoile students spend a full week in the beautiful San Juan Islands in Washington State. Canoe Island offers their entire program in French. Activities include archery, fencing, kayaking, sailing, marine biology, and French cuisine. Facilities on the island also include a heated pool and tennis courts. Meals are prepared by a professional French chef! This is an unforgettable trip for our 4th graders. CM2/5th Grade: Trip to France In 5th grade, our students celebrate their success in elementary school by traveling to France for 10 days. In past years, this class trip has been to one of two outdoor camps accredited by the French Ministry of Education: Camp le Taurus in Mèze, or Centre Batipaume in Agde, both near Montpellier in the south of France. Activities are centered around the outdoors – sailing, swimming, hiking in the garrigue, and the like – but also include cultural excursions such as visits to the medieval cities of Carcassonne or Aigues Mortes. These CM2 class trips to France may also focus on different regions of France and include different activities in upcoming years. However, the goals remain the same: to strengthen the students’ French skills, expose them to cultural differences, and reinforce material studied in the classroom by visiting important sites in person. Our students gain or improve upon many life skills such as a sense of responsibility and increased autonomy, being away from home and adapting to new environments, community living, socialization, and sharing. Above all, the trip affords our 5th graders a very special time with their classmates before they leave our school and move on to the next big chapter in their lives.
