Last week, NASH seniors who are currently enrolled in the Preschool Practicum class asked the preschoolers what they were most looking forward to for their outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. While some said they were thrilled to see their favorite animals, such as tigers, monkeys, cheetahs, red pandas, and even Komodo dragons, others said they were looking forward to going on a field trip accompanied by their senior friends. Needless to say, when the preschoolers began to load into the seats of the bus to visit the zoo, they screeched with excitement. 

On the ride down to Highland Park, it appeared that some of the preschoolers had never previously traveled on a bus. Their curious eyes gazed at the interior of the yellow vehicle and they giggled with joy before even arriving at the most exhilarating part of their trip. The amusement the preschoolers had for such a seemingly simple thing foreshadowed their excitement when they would see the animals. 

NASH senior Sofia Siegel sat in a seat with a preschooler who was very curious about the bus, the zoo, and the arrival time.

“The preschoolers were filled with joy even from the very beginning of the trip on the bus,” Siegel explained. “They kept asking us seniors how much longer until we would get there and if the animals were ready for us to come to see them.”

NASH Preschool Practicum teacher Mrs. Loeffert had long been waiting for the day she could finally take both the preschoolers and the seniors on a joint field trip, as COVID-19 impacted that aspect ofher program. 

“Before the pandemic, we took the preschoolers on a field trip with the seniors once a semester,” Loeffert said. “Unfortunately, we were not able to have one during the first semester of this school year, but luckily we brought it back for the second semester, and I hope next year will be the same.” 

NASH senior Lauren Barcaskey was so happy to have been a part of the highly anticipated field trip with her preschool friends. 

“It was such an amazing experience getting to take our preschoolers to the zoo and watching them having fun and learning outside of the classroom,” she said.

The preschoolers explored the many different exhibits inhabited by over 8,000 animals that the zoo has to offer with a little help from their senior friends. The highlights of the day included, but were not limited to, the following: watching a tiger play in the grass from up close, looking at the colorful fish and adorable penguins located in the aquarium, seeing the lynxes play with each other after they ate their breakfast, and walking under a glass tunnel with sea lions swimming all around. 

NASH senior Jacob Yarosz had been looking forward to this trip since it was first announced, and the day certainly exceeded his long-awaited expectations.  

“Seeing their faces light up as they walked from exhibit to exhibit was the highlight of the field trip for me,” Yarosz said. “They were so enthusiastic about the animals and learning more about their lifestyles.”

The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium provided kids with both a learning experience and fun activities. In fact, the preschoolers were able to touch real stingrays, pop their heads up in a glass enclosure to see the meerkats interacting, walk across a safari-style bridge in Kids’ Kingdom, and measure themselves to see how they compare to the size of elephants. 

NASH senior Olivia Phillips is proud that she took the Preschool Practicum class and was happy to be a part of such an exciting day.

“I look forward to going to my preschool class each day to see and teach the kids and the fact that we got to take them on a field trip that was both fun and educational was so amazing,” Phillips said. 

Loeffert wished for both a fun and educational field trip for not only the preschoolers but also for the seniors. 

“I am hoping that the seniors learned what it is like to take care of a child for the day. I had such a great time, and I hope the preschoolers and seniors did, too,” she said. 

Cole, a preschooler, had the time of his life at the zoo and finally got to see his favorite animal in person.

“My favorite part was seeing the Komodo dragon and hanging out with my friends. I really love the zoo,” he said.