The students in Mrs. Hoover’s 4th grade class learned all about the challenging life of New Jersey scallop fishermen during a field trip Tuesday to Cape May. The class was hosted by ACS grandparents Tom and Sherri McNulty, who own and operate several scallop boats docked at The Lobster House. The trip was a great way to learn first-hand about an important part of the economy and culture of New Jersey, which is the social studies focus for students in 4th grade. The students had the opportunity to board and get a tour of one of the scallop boats, led by the McNulty’s son, Tommy, who is an ACS parent and captains two of the family boats.
Tommy gave an overview of how scallops are caught and brought to market and shared how fisherman are often gone 10-14 days at a time and face many dangers at sea. The students also got to try on a fisherman’s wetsuit. In her presentation, Mrs. McNulty showed the students items that had been caught by the fishermen, including dishes, animal bones, parts of ships that had sunk, and even “leftovers” from wars. She also reminded the students about the four disciples who were fishermen that Jesus called to be “fishers of men.” The students were treated to lunch by the McNultys and sampled some of the seafood. “This is the 9th year that the McNulty family has welcomed our students to experience life as a fisherman in South Jersey and our trip is always the highlight of the year,” said Mrs. Hoover.