Field Trips

One of the great aspects of being a relatively small school is nimbleness. We take advantage of our small size by taking frequent field trips. In a day when many schools are drastically reducing the number of field trips, MSC continues its commitment to education outside of the classroom.

Some recent field trips include outings to Francis Beidler National Forest, the South Carolina Aquarium, the South Carolina State Museum, Richland County Public Library, Saluda Shoals Park, Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia's water treatment facility, the Confederate Relic Room, and Columbia Children's Theater.

The school owns a school bus that transports elementary students. The school also employs a qualified bus driver.

Older students usually participate in an annual overnight field trip. This spring the upper elementary class will go to Earthshine Mountain Lodge in North Carolina, a facility known for its high-quality educational programs.

2007–2008 Upper Elementary Field Trips

Richland County Landfill – Gazing in awe at the mountains of man-made trash, students learned about monumental task of burying waste and about the generation of green power from the landfill’s methane gas. This trip kicked off a year-long exploration of the environment.

Lexington County Recycling Center – Our students witnessed the lengths to which counties go in order to recycle used oil as well as everything from glass to plastic, appliances to carpet.

Peachtree Rock – Students hiked a unique convergence of sand hill and piedmont-like topography. They walked an ancient beach, observed limestone outcroppings marked with prehistoric worm tunnels, and learned about the flora of their home region.

Spirit of South Carolina, Charleston Harbor – On a gorgeous November day, our students set sail on a replica of a nineteenth-century tall ship. On board they participated in hands-on lessons about simple machines, weather, and life on a nineteenth-century schooner.

South Carolina State Museum – Gathering information to place on their South Carolina timelines, students researched prehistoric South Carolina and its inhabitants.

Camden Revolutionary War Site – Students donned the clothing of the colonials and wrote with quill pens as they learned about South Carolina’s crucial role in the Revolutionary War.

Lexington County Historical Museum – The upper elementary explored home life during the Federal period, including what it would have been like to attend a one-room schoolhouse in rural South Carolina.

South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum – Unforgettable stories about battlefield flags, women on the homefront, and Robert Smalls made this trip an absolute favorite! Director of Education Joe Long also gave a tour of the new WWI exhibit. Fabulous!

South Carolina State House and Bus Tour of Columbia– How does South Carolina state government operate and how does it compare with the three branches of the federal government? Now we know.

South Carolina State Museum – Students returned with clipboards in hand to research antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction in South Carolina. Their research fueled more writing and artwork for their history timelines.

Forthcoming
Elmwood Cemetery Tour – A view of Columbia’s past as seen through the lives of its famous—and infamous—citizens now buried at a historic cemetery. We will also take a bus tour of important and interesting sites in the city.

Mckissick Museum – Our focus turns to science as the students learn about the natural curiosities displayed in the current exhibit.

Barrier Island – We end the year with environmental studies on a three-day, two-night outing to a celebrated learning center.

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Field Trips