On Feb. 5, Marlborough designated a Community Day where students across all grade levels participated in various of academic experiences and field trips.
Every on- and off-campus experience was designed to correspond with each grade level’s curriculum, as the administration aimed to prioritize academics on the trips rather than solely grade-bonding.
7th graders extended their civics lessons by participating in an executive branch simulation at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, while 8th graders spent the day on campus in Romeo and Juliet workshops focused on acting and producing Shakespearean plays. Similarly, the 9th grade went to the California Science Center, where they visited exhibits related to biology, participated in a hands-on cow eye dissection and viewed an IMAX 3D experience.
Tenth graders, who are studying U.S. History this year, visited the Autry Museum of the American West. At the museum, they explored three exhibits relating to the American indigenous peoples’ historical, present and future experiences.
Every year, 11th graders visit the Holocaust Museum LA in order to further their understanding of Nazi Germany, which they learn about in their world history courses. Their trip remained centered on the Holocaust this year, but instead they visited the Museum of Tolerance, where they experienced an interactive exhibit and heard testimony from a Holocaust survivor.
12th grade was split up into two groups for their off-campus trips. AP Art History students visited the Getty Center, where they observed pieces of European art that align with the time periods they are studying, spoke with a senior conservator and got a behind-the-scenes tour of the conservation lab. Non-AP Art History students went on a social justice-themed trip to Homeboy Industries, a nonprofit organization that supports formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people. At Homeboy, students observed a meeting, went on a tour of headquarters and ate lunch at Homegirl Café.
“Today was so fun! I got to hang out with people in my grade that I don’t typically share classes with and learned more about an organization that I hadn’t previously been familiar with,” Luna ’25.
Multiple factors motivated the decision to dedicate an entire day to academic experiences and field trips. In recent years, students have requested that Marlborough have more field trips. However, Dean of Students Kendall Beeman said that one of the main challenges when doing full-grade field trips on a regular school day is the fact that students miss a full rotation of class, oftentimes making it more difficult for teachers to adjust their schedules. Beeman explained that a Community Day dedicated to field trips solves this problem.
“For the last few years, we’ve had a few classes go off on field trips and miss a day of class,” Beeman said. “We decided if we put it all on one day, then everyone gets to go on a field trip, and it doesn’t mess up the rotation.”
Beeman also said part of Marlborough’s strategic plan pledges to encourage students to explore and take advantage of the opportunities in Los Angeles. The decision to implement more field trips aligns with that larger initiative.
“We commit to transforming our partnership with Los Angeles, ensuring that our program and campus benefit our students, our city and our planet,” Marlborough’s 2020-2025 strategic plan reads.
Beeman hoped that students would benefit academically from the opportunity to extend their learning beyond the inside of a classroom.
“Being able to spend a day digging into a certain topic provides students with a depth of knowledge outside of what you can just learn in the classroom,” Beeman said.
