Last November 23, the 121 students of the Freshman House called 808-Tigers went to an educational field trip to Sea Life Park. The purpose of this trip for the students was to learn, to get to know their fellow House students better, and to bond with their five House teachers, which are Gregory Staszak, Math teacher, Akenese Nikolao-Mutini, Social Studies teacher, Bob Morikuni, Physical Education teacher, Matthew Johnson, English teacher and Harolyne Grant, Science teacher. The teachers mentioned were the ones who conducted this trip.

Grant said, “Currently, there are two freshmen and two sophomore Houses in the Small Learning Communities at McKinley High School, each House plans its own bonding/learning activities, usually by Quarter or Semester. I volunteered to do the paperwork this first 808-Tiger trip.”

Chaperones included school counselors, behavioral specialists and ELL teacher assistants.

“We chose Sea Life Park on Oahu’s south shore because it is such a beautiful outdoor venue. Adults love it, so we knew the students would too,” Grant continued.

The first event of the day was a lecture by Sea Life Park trainers on how the animals are cared for and trained. The trainer also told the group that all Sea Life park animals were obtained from waters within five miles of the Park. Besides eating and shopping at the Park’s stores and restaurants, the group was able to answer questions in the trip assignment booklet by attending dolphin shows at Hawaii Ocean Theatre and Dolphin Cove, seal & sea lion shows at Kolohe Kai stage and Seal Habitat, observing fishes in the Reef Tank, Green Turtles at feeding time and penguin watching.

“I think the kids had the most fun at the Touching Pool Exploration. They got to put their hands in the water and hold living ocean animals,” Grant added.

Students Matthew Conner, Wilson Yang, Binh Mai and Laila Khong all agreed:

“The sea cucumbers are the slimiest things in the Touching Pools!”

By the time the three school busses pulled away from Sea Life Park, drove the scenic route around Makapu’u Beach, the Blow Hole, and Hanauma Bay, no one seemed to mind that they hit rush hour traffic. Commute time was used to scan through a lot of photos, discuss booklet answers, and compare Park souvenirs.

“Where shall we go next trip?” Mr. Johnson asked the group getting off at the MHS gym.

The common shout rang out: “Let’s go back to Sea Life Park!”