Saint Martin de Porres Academy students challenged themselves and each other through team building activities at a 3-day school-wide camping trip to the Berkshire Outdoor Center in Becket, MA.
The weather was gray and rainy when the buses left, but the students they carried were filled with anticipation for their adventure. The independence of being on a trip in far-off Massachusetts without their families, the excitement of the alpine tower, giant rope swing, canoeing, archery and other activities they’d been hearing about for weeks, along with the idea of camping alongside their friends and much-
loved teachers created a feeling of excitement that rippled through Morning Gathering, making it feel more like a Friday afternoon than a dreary Tuesday morning.
Saint Martin de Porres Academy students and staff spent the 3-days camping in cabins at the Berkshire Outdoor Center in Massachusetts as part of an outdoor adventure leadership program. They participated in hands-on activities that helped them challenge themselves by overcoming fears while practicing communication, team building and leadership skills.
The giant swing was a test of bravery and highlight for many of the students.
“I was nervous because I’m not that used to the forest that much, or camping,” explained Alex, a 6th grader at Saint Martin’s. “But once I got there, the environment was very fun. I didn’t know it would be as fun as it was.”
“I think they take us on these trips to bond with our peers and to get a look at different places besides one city. When we went to Niagara Falls, we could see Canada. This year we went to a place that most of us never knew existed. I’ve never heard of it before.”
“There were so many activities I could do. There was this giant swing and it would swing you up into the air, like 50 feet in the air for like 10 minutes. It felt like the drop on the roller coaster!”
Alex assured me the staff had just as much fun. “They’re very funny. They made me laugh a lot.”
“The way my group bonded the most was when we canoeing. We had to keep the boat up and stable. We had to work together and row the correct way,” said Alex.
Because Saint Martin de Porres Academy has a 10-hour school day and 11-month school year, we are able to offer a wide-range of experiential learning and enrichment activities to help students learn about themselves while being exposed to various people, places and things.
#enrichment #experientiallearning #happykids
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