Sixth-graders returned to class a little more at ease about junior high and with a few new friends after participating in Northbrook Junior High’s Outdoor Education program at Camp Timber Lee Sept. 25-27.
The experience is intended to help the students build community in a junior high where three elementary schools come together. Teachers, students and high school volunteer counselors spend three days and two nights in southern Wisconsin, filled with activities that include canoeing, wilderness survival, zip-lining, rock climbing, crafts, archery, campfires, and performing a variety show. The high school students supervise overnight in the cabins and provide general support during the day. Each teacher and an adult assistant lead their homeroom group – known as an X-Block – through the three-day experience. The same group of students meet in X-block with their teacher daily throughout the school year.
“Outdoor Ed offers a great opportunity for our students to learn about a range of activities in the outdoors. However, the most rewarding part of this trip is helping our sixth-graders come together as one class, make new friends, and get to know their teachers better,” said Brenda Buckner, one of the event organizers.
This program is a rite of passage for District 28 students – the school has been doing it for over 25 years.
Principal Dr. Scott Meek witnesses the impact the program has on students every year.
“One of the neat things about this program is that it takes a "challenge by choice" approach to many activities. Invariably there are students each year who are nervous about sleeping away from home for the first time or have never built a fire or who are afraid of heights. It ends up being such an extremely powerful experience when they are able to overcome their fears and feel the accomplishment of climbing to the top of a wall or zip-lining,” Dr. Meek said.
While the activities offer opportunities for students to test themselves in new ways, one of their favorite parts of the experience is hanging out together. Says Emma W., “My favorite part was the cabin and hanging out together.”
Lainy K.’s advice for next year’s sixth-graders is, “Don’t be worried about it all. There was nothing that was hard. Don’t worry because it’s really fun and also you become friends with everyone in your X-Block.”
And Cara W., whose favorite activity was rock climbing, says, “You’ll be fine without your phone. It’s not as hard as you thought it would be.”
- NBJH