JMS 6^th Graders Euphoric for Educational Enrichment

          Within less than a month’s time, Tehachapi’s 6^th grade JMS students have had three separate cultural learning events pretty much just “dropped into their laps.”  These were not planned extracurricular activities; they kind of just happened because educators, sponsors, and local and national townspeople happened to be at the right place at the right time and jumped on the bandwagon to give our students the opportunity to be immersed into new experiences.

          Beginning in October, our 6^th grade boys and girls learned about the Dust Bowl first-hand, had an opportunity to do wrap their heads and hands around the significance of our oil industry, and then view the play, FAME, just before Thanksgiving break.  Because of the generosity of so many people, some of these young men and young ladies may be taking a new path in their futures, due to the new and exciting things they gleaned from these experiences.

          This article will focus on the Dust Bowl assembly, but first, we at Jacobsen Middle School, would like to thank all the people involved in the multiple learning opportunities above.  To begin with, we would like to thank Jim Phillips, Tommy and Kim Hayes, and Jack and Barbara Loucks for bringing the “Dust Bowl Days” to Jacobsen Middle School.  In addition, we want to extend our gratitude to Mr. Michael of MOLU (Mobile Oil Learning Unit, out of Texas), AND Holly of Oxy Bakersfield, who came along to help oversee this assembly.  We are thankful to them for contacting Tracy Minjares at our district office, and that she encouraged Mr. Kaminski, our principal, to pursue this opportunity, for Mr. Michael to come and expose the kids to the importance of oil and natural gas.  Oxy is the sponsor who paid for Mr. Michael to bring his mobile unit to Kern County.  Lastly, we would like to extend our thanks to Mrs. Crowe and her Advanced Drama class for inviting us (with Mrs. Haight’s insightful request) to see them perform FAME, and then include us in some rockin’ improv sessions, after we ate lunch in their theater.

For our “Dust Bowl Days” assembly, Jim Phillips and Tommy Hayes, of the Tommy Hayes and the Western Swingsters fame, came to visit JMS.  They are both considered children of the Dust Bowl.  They came to share their stories with our students about the terrible dust storms, and the events and causes that led people to migrate out to California, and how their lives were forever changed by this tragic storm.  Jim Phillips was born to his parents after they left Oklahoma, and he was raised in the Weedpatch Camp in Lamont, California, where he attended the Sunset School, with the other children of the Dust Bowl.  Tommy Hayes’ family went the opposite way when they left Oklahoma, to Alabama, but he actually lived through those storms.  It was so interesting to hear both of their takes on that time in America, one viewpoint from a young man whose parents lived through it, and another point of view from a young man who saw the dust storms first hand.  Jim used the book Children of the Dust Bowl, to show the students the stark pictures from those days, and to help explain what these people (The Okies) must have felt and experienced. One of the most interesting things Jim and Tommy told us was that much of country music history was rooted in the “Dust Bowl” days, because not only was music one of the only things that brought these people happiness (When they would play their guitars by the side of the road on their long journeys), but also, it gave them a way to express themselves to mourn the loss of what they had left behind and brought them hope for the future ahead.

Then, Jack and Barbara Loucks, brought their Model A “Dust Bowl” car to Tehachapi and parked it outside, so the kids could see with their own eyes how these families traveled to escape the dust storms, and how they literally lived out of their cars, while they made the slow, agonizing drive west to try and redeem their lives.  Although he wasn’t in the Dust Bowl, Jack also attended the Sunset School with the kids of the migrant farmers who came from Oklahoma.  He farmed with his uncle, worked in the oil fields, and he became a mechanic, as well.  His love of the people from the Weedpatch Camp and his mechanical skills, prompted him to recreate three (So far—He is working on another as we speak!) amazing true-to-life cars/trucks in which families might have migrated between Oklahoma to California.

          This span of a month has been like a shot in the arm for all of us at Jacobsen Middle School, the teachers and students alike, here at our 6^th grade center.  We are truly grateful to all those involved in transporting our children to a learning world of fact, fun, and fascination!

          Written by,

          Denise Trone

          6^th grade teacher/Jacobsen Middle School