Rouses Everyday - January & February

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54 MYROUSESEVERYDAY MARCH | APRIL 2015
Iwas picking up my oldest son, Holden,
from school one afternoon when his
Pre-K teacher, Mrs. Crissy Degravelle,
asked me if the class could take a field trip
to Rouses. I tried to act casual, but honestly,
I could barely contain my excitement. I want
my children to have the same experiences I
did as a child. Ask any of my old classmates,
and they’ll tell you,they definitely remember
the field trips to Rouses. It’s a topic that still
gets brought up 20+ years later.
Holden couldn’t wait for the day to arrive.
Every day he asked me the same question, “Is
today the day that Pa is taking us to his store?”
Finally it was the day.The kids arrived on a
big yellow school bus. As they disembarked,
you could see the excitement on their faces.
We all gathered in the café ... four different
pre-K groups. My dad welcomed them to
Rouses and told them to have fun.
Because the kids were four and five years
old, we knew we had to keep things pretty
simple, so we broke them into even smaller
groups, and visited each department while
learning and tasting something new.
In the bakery, the students were able to help
a Cake Decorator decorate a cake for their
class. They told her which colors to use, how
many flowers the cake needed, and what the
main picture should be. Do you know how
many dozen eggs are produced by Louisiana
chickens each year? 38 Million Dozen!! They
each had a chance to decorate a sugar cookie
to take back to school. I decorated one, too.
In the Cold Cuts/Deli Department, the
students watched a cheesemonger slice
a giant block of cheese into small squares
using a cheese wire. Then they did a little
taste testing.
The biggest treat was the Seafood
Department. It just so happened to be Mr.
Lobster’s 25th birthday. The kids sang
“Happy Birthday,” and each one gave the
lobster a pat on the head and took a picture
with him. After Seafood, the kids went to
the Butcher Shop & Smokehouse to watch
and learn how sausage is made fresh daily
in the store.
Rouses Produce Department is very kid
friendly. We have a special Kids Zone
stocked with kid-size apples and oranges,
snack packs, and sliced fruits and vegetables
with dip. These are perfect on-the-go items
for school lunches and family outings.
The students walked around the Produce
Department identifying (or trying to
identify) different fruits and vegetables.
Did you know that carrots come in multiple
colors? The students did a taste-test, and
concluded that they don’t taste any different
from regular orange carrots.
No field trip to a grocery store would
be complete without the chance to play
cashier! The students each had a shopping
list that included items needed to prepare
a Thanksgiving Feast for the classroom.
(Mrs. Crissy is awesome! She cooks a
Thanksgiving meal for her students every
year.) The kids went up and down the
grocery aisles picking products off the shelf.
Then it was time to check out. Each student
had the opportunity to play “cashier,” and
scan three or four items.
Before the students left, they were each
given a Rouses goody bag with some fun
and healthy treats. I believe that Mrs.Crissy
summed everything up perfectly, “Our field
trip to Rouses was not only educational, but
fun! Seeing how each department works
‘behind the scenes’ was AMAZING. Our
children had a fantastic time!”
If you would like to schedule a field
trip to your local Rouses, please email
for details.
by Mandy Rouse Martinolich + photos by Frank Aymami
Field Trips
the Food & Music issue