The Recorder on April 03, 2025
Highland Elementary School’s fourth grade class tour The Homestead Resort and Spa courtesy of Maggie Kaysak, guest experience manager. Front row, from left, are: Carlee Armstrong, Serenity Terry, and Fiona Dent; middle row: Edith White, Justin Kinser, Brady Mullins, Jacob Murray, and Joshua Grant; back row: Cheyanna Gordon, Piper Neave, Liam Gumm, Gunner Mullins, and Weston Stephenson. (Photos courtesy HES)
HOT SPRINGS — Highland Elementary School’s fourth grade class traveled to Bath County to tour The Homestead and attend the “Young Author’s Celebration” at Bath County High School March 10.
Maggie Kaysak, The Homestead’s guest experience manager, guided the children on a tour that illustrated the chronological history of Virginia. The Homestead is regarded as the first resort in the United States, dating back to 1766. As one of the students said, “That is ten years before the Declaration of Independence.”
For over 250 years, beginning with the Native Americans who first enjoyed the spring waters, entrepreneurs have continually developed the natural resources of this area of Bath County. The students had plenty of questions to ask and the guide was ready to answer.
Kaysak introduced the children to many facts about the property and the many different occupations that support the resort’s smooth operations.
The students had an opportunity to sit in the lobby and observe the details of the architecture. They enjoyed eating fresh doughnuts from the pastry department and lunch in Jefferson’s Taproom.
The class walks up the path to The Homestead Resort and Spa.
“This excursion afforded our students with a unique opportunity to apply the social skills they have learned in the classroom to real-life settings,” said teacher Billie Botkin. “They were expected to conduct themselves appropriately for the occasion and did an exceptional job in representing our school and community.”
The children were able to make connections between The Homestead’s history through the innovations of each decade with Virginia social studies objectives. HES’s fourth grade teacher Jennifer Blakley created special “Homestead” journals for her students to record their experiences while visiting the property. Writing has been a favorite subject of this year’s class. The students will use the sensory details from their field trip to compose fictional narratives in which they imagine meeting one of the presidents at The Homestead in an earlier time period.
From left, Serenity Terry, Joshua Grant, Carlee Armstrong, and Piper Neave describe their surroundings in their journals at The Homestead.