On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the 4th grade from Owen-Withee went on a field trip to the Henry Vilas Zoo and took a tour of the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin.
They saw many animals like the ring-tailed lemurs, aardvarks, capybaras, polar bears and seals or “torpedoes.” They were also lucky enough to see two red pandas, as it was the last day for one of them before being relocated to another zoo.
They also learned about the history of Wisconsin, by their amazing teachers, Russ Weiler and Amanda Kosar, who taught them everything they needed to learn about Wisconsin. They took a one-hour tour of the capitol and got to see the Hearing Room, Senate, Judicial Room, rotunda, and many other interesting sites. They learned about the marriage of the Pacific and the Atlantic, fighting Bob, the replica Liberty Bell (because the original one has a big crack in it) and Ringo/Patrick the star (a fossil in the steps). Lastly, they concluded their visit by going out on the state capitol balcony over five stories high overlooking Madison.
A special thanks to Diane and Steve for giving tours to the 4th graders in Mr. Weiler’s and Mrs. Kosar’s classes. We did not go on a Friday because the trip was canceled due to bad weather such as high winds. The 4th graders were very disappointed as they had their field trip canceled at first but were thrilled to reschedule and make the trip. Thanks to everyone for making it possible - the O-W School Board, our