Dallas Zoo field trip fulfills pandemic promise for Richardson ISD 6th graders

RICHARDSON, Texas - Students who were in kindergarten when the pandemic began are now leaving the sixth grade. 

And the moms at Canyon Creek Elementary School in Richardson wanted to make sure they didn’t miss out on an important rite of passage – a field trip to the Dallas Zoo.

COVID Field Trip Rescheduled

The backstory:

Annabelle Smith said she still remembers the disappointment of missing her first field trip as the pandemic shut down the world in 2020.

"I found out that we weren’t able to go, so it made me really sad," she said.

The kindergartners were forced to navigate Zoom instead of the school hallways. Then once in first grade, they learned to read while wearing masks and practiced social distancing instead of making new friends.

What's new:

While they’ve caught up with their education milestones, there was one thing they were still missing before graduating from elementary school.

"When your older kid gets to go to the zoo and your younger kid gets to go the zoo, and your middle kid's like, ‘Well I never got to go to the zoo with my classmates.’ You just kind of feel, you know, a little sad for them that they missed out on that," said Sarah Dudley, a sixth grade parent.

Fortunately, in this case, time failed to be a thief. And with enough class funds to make it happen and the blessing of the principal, the plan came together.

Even though the students are now heading off to junior high, they weren’t too big to have fun and wonder.

What they're saying:

"This is the first time I actually went to a zoo," said Victoria Ramierez. "I’m really happy I’m here."

"I thought it was really fun," Emme Dudley said.

"My favorite animal was probably the monkey with the mustache," Smith added.