The Rhoads School Living History Program
The Rhoads School Program is a living history program available to the schools of Sacramento County. In it, students are immersed in another era and participate in typical activities of that era in a historical setting. In this case, the children become students in a one-room schoolhouse operating around 1890 in a typical rural district. The students experience a typical day of children of that era, in dress, manners, chores, recreational activities, and classroom lessons. The objective is for children to develop empathy and have deeper understanding of the lives of people of that time and find an appreciation for present material advancements.
Because the program requires so much active participation by the students, including role-playing, it is important that the students are well prepared for the day. They will retain and understand more historical and cultural significance of their activities if they have some background, as well as some skills. The student will become a historical character for the day, doing morning chores, preparing for school, going to school, and participating in schoolhouse lessons. A child of that era would naturally already know some of the basic things that our children may not be familiar with for example what a privy is, how to play marbles and jacks, or how to find lessons in a McGuffy Reader.
A teaching handbook has been developed to help you prepare your students for these and other activities. Much of this will be covered during the docent pre-classroom visit to your classroom. On the day of the field trip the docent plays the role of the schoolmarm.
The school is small, with seats for about 30 students. At least four parents are needed to accompany the class, to assist with recess games, lunch, etc. These parent volunteers would benefit by being present at the pre-visit to learn their roles. All those attending the trip to the Rhoads School should dress appropriately (i.e., no shorts, etc.). Some children’s costumes and mother’s skirts are available and should be requested of the docent prior to the pre-visit.
Information for Teaching Staff & Field Trip Coordinators
We’re very proud of our pioneer school in the Elk Grove Park and want you to be aware of the Living History Program available there. Schools in the Elk Grove area have been scheduling 3rd and 4th grade class visits to the school since 1977.
We are taking reservations now. We usually have a full schedule of requests for the spring. However, our program is open from September through June. Most teachers use the field trip to cap the teaching they have done throughout the year, but it could also be used at the beginning of the school year as a building block for the rest of the year. To make a reservation, please contact Roberta Tanner by email at clantanner@aol.com or call (916) 214-8345.
We have a small number of scholarships, which will cover the cost of the program for classes who want to participate but have limited resources. Applications for scholarships need to be received no later than October 1 for the upcoming year. For more information and to request an application, please contact Roberta Tanner at the above information.
The Rhoads School experience is not just an opportunity for a field trip. Embedded in our teaching are many of the standards included in the current curriculum. In its historical context, we are able to teach about the California gold rush and the impact immigrants had on the state. In particular, we teach how this community was established, how individuals and families contributed to its founding, and how the community has changed. (Standards 3.3 and 3.4)
Frequently Asked Questions
What should you know about the process?
Your first and most important task is to call and schedule your class dates. It’s first come, first served and the most popular months of March, April, and May can fill up very quickly. Once the dates are reserved, a docent is assigned, and a confirmation letter is sent to the school and the docent with contact information for both. One or the other will connect and setup a pre-visit which will take place one to two weeks prior to the field trip to the school. In the pre-visit, the students will learn a brief history of the Rhoads School and information concerning clothing, food and the school day schedule. They will have the opportunity to ask questions. Those parents who will be attending the field trip are encouraged to attend the pre-visit as well as any other parents who have questions about the program. There is no cancellations fee if things should change but letting us know of changes as soon as possible will open that date for others.
Our scheduler is Director Roberta Tanner (916) 214-8345 or clantanner@aol.com or leave a message at the Historical Society at (916) 685-8115 and it will be forwarded.
What are the costs?
The cost is $160 per class session. That charge includes the pre-visit and is the same no matter the number of students. However, the school can only accommodate approximately 30 students. The Rhoads School is under the umbrella of the Elk Grove Historical Society but has its own board. There are no paid employees. The docents are independent contractors and a check made out in their name is due on the day of the visit.
We should note that the board hosts annual fundraisers to provide scholarships to help Title I or financially compromised schools to better afford the program. A Scholarship Application needs to be filled out and is due October 1st. You can ask for one when scheduling. Depending on the number of applicants, not all classes from a school might receive a scholarship. We are limited to the funds we are able to raise, but desire all to attend who are interested experiencing the living history program.
What are class times?
The pre-visit is usually an hour and is set up at the teacher’s convenience. The day of the visit to the school, we remain flexible to accommodate the school schedules and bus availability.
Who may attend?
Anyone is welcome! We want you to understand, appreciate, and feel what it was like to attend a school in 1890. We send a pre-school flier/invitation out at the first of September to each local school in the district (Attention: 3rd & 4th grade teachers) and any one else who has attended in the past. That includes, private schools, charter schools, Christian schools, and homeschools. We have even have had a parent contact us and ask if their child could attend, for which we contacted other schools and asked if they would accommodate one extra student. So far it has worked well, but those are rare occurrences. Our docents are flexible as we all think the experience is very rewarding.