Science Club at Fall Fest - Just Barely

 

After a lot of arranging the newly organized VJ Science Club took its first field trip to the 31st Annual Fall Fest at the Mississippi State Truck Crops Station in Crystal Springs, Mississippi. My room was a frenzy of activity before we left. Destiny came in to get the rain measurements for the network, Mr. Lewis the sub was getting instructions for the day, students were coming in with their permissions slips, Mr. Hamblin introduced me to his lovely wife who I had invited to go with us, and on it went. It got time to go and I made sure everyone was on the list for announcements. We had one final drama – a football player wanted to go (along with two others) but he was told he could not play in the game that night if he went – he stayed. I gave everyone the speech about representing Velma Jackson High School and conducting themselves like ladies and gentlemen and about taking notes for the report they would send me by email. I then went around and made sure everyone had a homemade book and pencil and got to go to the sessions they wanted to attend as we started traveling. We got well on our way down the highway and it hit me out of the blue – I had left Mrs. Hamblin in her husband’s classroom. I felt horrible and told Ms. Washington, my colleague on the trip, that it was time for me to retire. I apologized to Mr. Hamblin later and felt very, very small.

In spite of that terrible goof, we had a very good day even though it was very cold. Students got to attend sessions on Nature Photography, Pond Management, Fun with Vegetables, Producing Your Own Flower Arrangement and many others. The highlight for me was learning about the four P’s of pond management and watching them seine the 2.5-acre pond and to see the twenty plus blue gill hatchlings and two intermediates. Also it was a great treat to see all the beautiful flowers with the scientific labels, to hear Norman Winter’s presentation on hot new plants and to see his 80 beautiful color slides, and to see friends from another group in my life. The homemade grist mill for corn was also very interesting - I bought a bag and got contact information so maybe we can make our own one day. I also got a tree supplier for persimmons, pomegranates and others to agree to meet me half way to save a delivery charge for our emerging VJ botanical gardens. I am looking forward to receiving the reports from the students. Many of them asked about planting a garden at school and having our own pond and, of course, when we would take our next trip.

The drama for the day was not over. I had promised the administrators that we would return before school let out for the day (since an earlier field trip this week was ten minutes late and the students had to be kept after school for about ten nervous minutes) and before the students loaded the buses. I kept my promise barely. We drove up just as kids were getting out of school to load the buses. I saw the principal looking at us with smoke coming out of his ears. I did get him to smile a bit later when I told him my nickname in college – Just Barely – not early, not late, right on time, Just Barely.
It may be awhile before we get to go again (next time I will make a point not to leave anyone behind).