Our Field Trips

8th grade Team Building Retreat

Saint James School’s standard curriculum consists of Language Arts, Science, Math, Social Studies, and Religion. In addition our 6th Grade Students go on a weeklong Science Camp. 7th Grade embarks on a Discovery Voyage to study the ecosystem of the San Francisco Bay. Our 8th Graders enjoy a two day outing where they get to enjoy outdoor activities such as archery as well as participate in team building exercises. Each Spring they also travel to Sacramento to tour the Capital and visit the Sacramento Train Museum. There they experience our Government at work, as well as California State History

Discovery Voyage

We join the MSI crew for a four-hour expedition of the San Francisco Estuary aboard the 90-foot research vessel, the Robert G. Brownlee. The group spent a half-day as scientists, discovering the Estuary's ecosystem and discussing their own roles within it. Students collected and examined plankton, ran hydrology tests, and observed wetland ecology from the ship. They delved into mud samples, discovering the fascinating invertebrates that thrive at the Bay's bottom. Students also used a trawl net to catch a wide variety of fish species, including sharks and rays!

8th grade Sacramento Train/Museum trip

In addition to the 8th Grade Outdoor Adventures and Team building they also venture to Sacramento each year. Here they tour the States Capital and see the areas where our state's government happens. They are also view areas that have been preserved from the Gold Rush Era to contrast with how the offices look today. The day is concluded by visiting the California State Railroad Museum. While in the museum they are able to ask knowledgeable Docents, dressed in period attire, any questions they may have. Students gain firsthand knowledge of some of the "technology" required to transform from a Gold Rush Era territory into the Great State of California.

Sixth Grade Science Camp

Each year our sixth grade enjoys a week long Outdoor Environmental Education Program. This provides an opportunity for students to observe, explore, and discover in the outdoor classroom! Camp Staff facilitates learning through ecological studies, games, and activities. In addition to ecological and science studies our youth participate in activities that develop positive self-concepts and peer relationships that last throughout their time at Saint James. Field trips are a large component of our curriculum. All grades go to such places as the California Academy of Sciences, Tech Museum, Davies Symphony Hall and more...

"I have become a Dynamite Dominican, at Saint James with help from the lessons and the retreats. Since I have been here I now pray for others, and enjoy helping when I am needed." ~A quote from a special Dynamite Dominican~