In mid April, grade 3 students left campus early for an all-day trip to Mission San Juan Bautista. The students gathered with faculty and chaperones to tour the mission grounds and get a hands-on feel for daily life back when the Spanish missions were at the height of their power in California. This included a look at a bedroom, kitchen and sitting room that reflect different periods in the mission’s life.

San Juan Bautista, the largest of the missions founded by Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, also has a museum and extensive gardens. The mission was founded in the summer of 1797, and today remains not only a functioning parish, but also a fun and educational way to teach students about early California history.