Virtual Day at the Farm: Students take Zoom field trip

Published 4:00 am Sunday, May 3, 2020

VALDOSTA – School may be closed for the year but a pre-K class still took its yearly field trip. 

Students in Jenna Ganas’ class at Valwood School were scheduled for a trip to Fifth Day Farm March 17.

New practices and closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the trip but Ganas found a way to make it happen for her students.

The class joined Janet Hendley, Fifth Day Farm co-owner, last week for a virtual field trip utilizing the Zoom platform.

Hendley was a walking tour guide, inviting the students into her farm and showing them the many animals living on it.

The tour opened with a welcome from Jack Frost the goat.

The children were introduced to a tortoise, lambs, horses, rabbits, a turkey, alpacas, llamas and other animals.

The pigs were an audience favorite with horses following closely behind as the second fave.

Students asked questions, all wondering what each animal ate and wondering if all of the animals played nicely together.

“I knew that my students would love to tour the farm and see all of the animals, and it would be a wonderful way for our class to connect to the world around us together without leaving our homes,” Ganas said.

“Even though our school world has been completely turned upside down, it is important for us to learn to adapt to the new way we are approaching education.”

She said being able to interact with her students is important to her during this time.

Although it’s done virtually, being with her class creates a sense of normalcy, she said.

Fifth Day Farm has gotten multiple requests from teachers wanting to have a field trip with their classes.

Hendley said several school field trips had been scheduled the week schools closed. All of the trips were canceled.

“There’s no way that can replace the actual hands-on at the farm, and I know that, but it’s something we can do in the meantime,” she said of the virtual tours.

Aside from the tours, Facebook Live story time is also held.

“We’re just trying to think outside of the box and do what we can,” she said.

Spring is typically a busy season for the farm but the pandemic and protective measures diminished the number of bookings to zero until recently.

The farm is open by appointment to groups of 10 or less to follow guidelines.

Teacher admission for the virtual field trips is by donation.

The farm has paused goat grams, Hendley said.

Call (229) 413-3242, or visit facebook.com/jshendley/, for more information.