ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE -- Fifth-graders from Macon’s Burdell-Hunt Elementary School received bookbags filled with toys and treats Monday at the 7th annual Christmas party hosted by the Macon Rotary Club.

“We all believe in the joy of giving and the joy of being together,” Kathryn Dennis, president of the Macon Rotary Club, told students as they interacted with Rotary members at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base. “It gives us a chance as a club to see what’s on their minds, and it gives them the chance to talk to professionals and ask questions.”

The lunch was a part of a larger field trip that allowed the students to tour the museum and participate in STEM activities, or those associated with science, technology, engineering and math. Students attended sessions that allowed them to launch rockets and parachutes and create artificial snow.

“Being able to bring them is a great opportunity for the children. It’s a great way for students to find out about the opportunities that are in the STEM fields,” Dennis said.

Destini Forte, 11, said she learned about science on the field trip. Her favorite part of the day, she said, was riding the airplane stimulator.

“I never thought I would really like science, but it’s actually very interesting,” Forte said.

Gail Ford, a retired teacher who works as a liaison between the Macon Rotary Club and Burdell-Hunt Elementary School, said she hoped the field trip made students realize how fun science can be.

“Rotary has been providing students with an educational experience at Christmas for years now. I want (students) to learn about the generosity of other people.”

To contact writer Danyelle Gary, call 744-4347.