“It’s all in how it’s presented,” teachers say when asked why or why not students love learning. Ask the fourth graders at Pacific Christian Elementary School how they feel about California history: “It’s so much fun; I’m having a blast,” says one student last month during “Sutter’s Fort Day” in the western-themed backyard of Eric and Diane Rae of Orcutt. 
           On March 20, the day started at Pacific Christian School as the students boarded the bus to travel to the street where Eric and Diane Rae live. In front of wide-eyed neighbors who watched the parade of forty-five children, moms, dads and volunteers, the pioneers hiked the quarter mile to what became Sutter’s Fort for a day.   
The students and parents were dressed in period clothes and most represented California historical figures such as Captain John Sutter, Kit Carson, John Bidwell and John C. Fremont. “Each child has a character they have learned about. They were in character all day,” says organizer and former principal at Pacific Christian, Lynne Plunkett.  
Not only were the fourth graders decked out in period attire, but moms, dads and volunteers also spent the day in gingham dresses, bonnets, cowboy boots and western dress.    
        The youth rotated through ten stations where they participated in activities including western food cooking like peeling potatoes and making biscuits, playing Native American games, and learning about carpentry, basket weaving and quilt sewing.    
        The children even  danced the Virginia Reel.  For lunch, tri-tip was the sandwich of choice.  
         For good behavior, the youth had earned “Sutter Bucks” which were traded at the general store for arrowheads, feathers and all sorts of California historical mementos.  
        “Can we do this again tomorrow?” one student asked when it was time to return to campus.
Steve Southwick reporting