Field Trips

Panning for gold in a mountain stream. Ziplining through a redwood canopy. Walking in the steps of our nation’s founders. Field trips are a fact of life at Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School. Starting in Pre-Kindergarten, students venture off campus to see their lessons brought to life and to engage with their community. As students get older, field trips include overnight stays, allowing for personal growth and independence.

Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School students pose in a line in front of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.
An SPCA volunteer helps a boy hold his hand up to a horse's snout.
Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School students pan for gold.
Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School students sit in a 1920s car.
Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School students pose in kayaks by the shore..
Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School students pose in front of the White House.

Destinations

Catalina students go on dozens of field trips each school year. These include:

  • SPCA
  • The Farm
  • Local agriculture companies
  • Carmelite Monastery
  • P.G. Museum of Natural History
  • Santa Lucia Preserve
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • Steinbeck Center
  • Hartnell College Planetarium
  • Monterey Zoo
  • Service trips to the food bank, Del Monte Beach, and senior residential facilities

The most important learning happens when students face different challenges and overcome problems away from home.
Maria Canteli, Middle School Director

Imagine. Explore. Become.

Overnight Adventures
In grades 4-8, field trips take on another dimension with overnight, outdoor experiences. Through these IEB trips, students imagine what they can do, actively explore the world around them, and embrace experiences that help them become who they want to be. Students bond with classmates, gain valuable life skills, and learn to push beyond their comfort zones.

IEB Trips

  • Grade 4: California’s Gold Country (Columbia)
  • Grade 5: Fort Ross
  • Grade 6: Mount Hermon
  • Grade 7: Yosemite National Park
  • Grade 8: Washington, D.C.
  • Middle School: Three Saturday adventures each year (camping, hiking, surfing, and more)
Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School students stand, sit, and lie around a beach bonfire at dusk.