Chase reports:

Our grade went on a field trip to see the movie “Hidden Figures.” We took the subway to a stop close to Penn Station. We walked about a block to the movie theater. When we entered the movie theater, my mouth dropped. The movie theater was bigger than the Great Hall in Ellis Island. We went up the escalator to the floor where our theater was. We got to that floor and walked to theater 8 where we would be seeing the movie.

Most field trips have a purpose. Some don’t. Did this field trip have a purpose? It sounds like it didn’t but it did. In reading, we read a book called Turning 15 On The Road To Freedom. It  is about a girl named Linda who marched on Bloody Sunday and on the march on Montgomery. The book involves one civil rights related subjects that Hidden Figures focused on – segregation. Segregation was a horrible thing.

I already saw the movie before we went on the field trip so it wasn’t as good as it was when I first saw it.  Some people who only watched the movie once think it’s one of those movies for entertainment. When you watch it twice, you’ll think something different. When I watched “Hidden Figures” for the second time, I understood why the producers made the movie and how and why the movie’s not just for entertainment. I mean you might be thinking, “Why would a class go to a movie in school?” That’s what I’m telling you. You learn that segregation is horrible and people are smarter than you think.

After school for homework, we had to write a journal entry pretending we were one of the main characters: Dorothy Vaughn, Katherine Johnson and Mary Jackson.

It was a fun field trip.

Jasiri’s journal entry, written as Katherine Johnson.

Samuel reports:

Today I was inspecting buildings when I got a letter from somebody who needed an inspection at 97 Orchard Street. Some  inspectors and I went to 97 Orchard Street. When we got to Orchard Street we saw the building and we met the landlady on the steps of the house and went in. the place was dirty. there were mice cockroaches pieces of news paper and cloth.

The landlady told us that all her tenants were just throwing their stuff on the floor and that attracted mice and cockroaches. We asked her if she had any toilets that worked. She said she had two toilets in the hallway but   only one worked. She showed us the toilet and she pulled the lever but the toilet didn’t flush. She told us that the person who works for the plumbing doesn’t do a very good job so that’s why the toilets weren’t working. We asked her if she had any animals in her tenement. She said that one of her tenants had a chicken but the tenant always said that she didn’t have one. The landlady said that we could talk to the tenant, so she led us to the tenant’s apartment.

When we went into the tenant’s apartment we saw cockroaches everywhere. I had to sit near a dead cockroach. I asked the tenant  if she had any livestock in her room. She said that she had no livestock in her room. A new tenement inspector said “What is the chicken feather doing here and you said you don’t have a chicken!”  One of our bosses told the new Inspector that we should be nice.

We said that she had many cloths that were dry near the stove. We told her that was a fire hazard and she had to move the cloth before her house caught on fire. The tenant said that the cloth was damp and there would be no fire.  We asked her a question which was, “Do you have any running water in your apartment?” The tenant said that she didn’t have any running water and she was very thirsty. The only way she could get water was to go up three flights of stairs  to her neighbor’s room to get it.

Then we finished up our inspection. We went back to headquarters to see if the building passed or not. We all agreed that 97 Orchard Street did not pass the inspection. We talked about the landlady and the tenant. We tried to find a way for both of them to get what they need. We talked about all the vermin ( Rats and cockroaches) we had seen. 

After our meeting a couple of us went to a place to get bialys. I got a garlic bialy and so did most of us but one got onion. After bialys we went to go get some pickles. I usually don’t like them but this time I did. That was my day.

The Trying First Day in America for an Italian Family

By: Abraham Stron (Oliver) 

LOWER EAST SIDE-  It is 1916 January 12th and an Italian family that just immigrated from Venice has been found by a settlement house worker and has taken them to 97 Orchard Street to help them get settled in their new home.

An Italian family with eleven children and two grown-ups has just finished immigrating. They got off the boat and they were the very most dazed. They took one glance at Ellis Island and had to blink twice before the kids started running around in joy.

The parents did not. They stood there and stared in terror as if they knew what the evil secrets of the island held. “Come here children, I have something to tell you about this island.” “What is it mother?” asked the one who looked to be the youngest of them all. “You must look your very best from the moment you step in, to the moment you step out.” “Okay,” said all the children.

They stepped into main building at Ells Island and the children had followed their mother’s advice very well, they looked their very best. They walked up the stairs and they were in the Great Hall.

It was the first time in days that the family could be standing on hard surface with no wibble wobble. They were fed jello and bananas when they heard their last name called over for inspection.

They had made it through the first the second the third the fourth and now came the fifth and final inspection test. “Have you committed any crimes?” “No.” “Well I’m sorry to say but here it says that you stole someone’s shoes on the boat ride here.” “What!” “Oh! Wait that was someone else. Congratulations, welcome to America!”

They went down the Staircase of Separation to the boat and got on it with joy as they made their way to the Lower East Side.

When they got off the boat, they were confused as for where they were supposed to be. The mother decided that they were just going to walk around until they found something or someone that could help them.

The family had been walking around for awhile until a settlement house worker came over to them and asked them if they needed help “YES” said the entire family. The settlement worker told them to follow her. They did exactly that and they were led into this tiny apartment to this little room where lots of young immigrants were being taught how to be American.

The settlement worker said, “I’m a little busy right now as you can see so I will take you to this other young immigrant who has been here a while and might help you settle in a lot more then you are.” The family agreed and they followed her into this very tiny apartment where they were introduced to this young woman by the name of Victoria Confino.

“Come in, come in,” said Victoria with a little nervous laugh. “The chairs and the bed are open for sitting. Ok. Do you have any questions?” said Victoria with another nervous laugh.

“I do!” said Wyeth in the back. “

What is it,” said Victoria.

“How did you find a place to live because are looking for one?”

“Well…”, said Victoria with another nervous laugh. “I did the same that you are doing, our settlement house worker pulled my family and I over to come stay here and we have been living in this tenement ever since!”

“Thank you Victoria”

“Any more questions?”

“Yes,” said everyone in the family. Victoria answered question after question after question after question until there were no more questions. They had figured out everything they needed to know. Where they lived, where the baker and fishmonger were and everything else.

“Thank you so much Victoria” said everyone. They were on their way out to their new tenement and they knew that they had a very long first day in the Lower East Side.

In December, we took a great field trip to Ellis Island. The students pretended to be their immigrant characters in the year 1908.

Beckett: In the Great Hall I am standing terrified with the legal inspector making his move that determines my life.

Cecilia: The inspector kept questioning me as if I was hiding something. I didn’t know I would be led to mental tests.

Chase: I’m so excited to get off the boat. I go on the deck. I see the Statue of Liberty. I’m almost at Ellis Island. No more seasickness. No more.

The steerage passengers are upset that the first class passengers are getting off first. The captain gave us bread to make us feel better.

Dash: I am on the boat looking at the Statue of Liberty.

When I entered the Great Hall, I started to get nervous. Different emotions filled the cavern. What was in front of me in my journey was not yet to come. A bunch of hope and fear filled me. Filled other immigrants. And yet to come was something for me to keep on moving on this journey or to end this journey.

Freya: I wait to be inspected with goosebumps all over my body. Even though I am smiling I don’t feel that way.

Gray: I just came off the boat and I am in the Great Hall doing the legal inspection with my new best friend Dimitrios.

We were so happy that we were able to go to New York.

Imogen: I am with my friends and have just gotten off the boat. We are getting all our excitement out after being cramped on a boat. I am the most excited.

Jasiri: I am looking at the test-giver hoping to be let in.

Leo: I’m taking the test. I’ve passed and I’m very relieved.

Lily: I was scared for the inspections. I did not know if I was going to pass. I am the one in the scarf.

The lines were so long!

Luc: I am standing with some other steerage passengers and we have just arrived on Ellis Island.

Luca: This is me getting inspected. I was scared. I passed, I was so happy.

Mayer: At inspections, I was feeling queasy. Questions are being fired at you is not a good feeling.

Mia: This is me getting inspected. I was scared but when I passed I felt so happy.

Milla: I am taking the legal test, the last test. I could not explain the feeling I had at that time, scared, excited, worried, happy. When I passed my heart exploded!

Oliver: I just got off the boat with a couple of my good friends. I am about to go into the Great Hall.

The legal inspectors were very scary!

All the kids were playing as we watched our boat go back to England. We get to stay in New York!

I look out at the water and see the beautiful Statue of Liberty. I have made it to America.

Samuel: I am looking at Lady Liberty and I feel happy and sad. I was happy to go to Manhattan but sad because I am going to miss my grandfather.

Sophie: I am looking out at the Manhattan skyline through binoculars. I felt so happy that I passed the inspection.

Wyeth: I just passed the inspections and am waiting for the ferry with my friends, Emily and Madelia.

Zach: I just got to Ellis Island and made a friend named Kingston. I am smiling because I got past inspection.

For more photos, check out the photo album.