Campus Voices
Lower School
Every November the 6th graders take an orientation trip to Hulbert Outdoor Center in Fairlee, Vermont, to bond as a grade. The program was designed by the Hulbert staff and BB&N teachers. We collaborated to create lessons that complement and enhance students’ learning using practical and experienced-based activities that will translate into the school community upon return to campus.
The trip this year, taken in early November, was an overnight trip from Tuesday to Friday. The program was designed to foster personal growth, self-reliance, responsibility, confidence, cooperation, teamwork, and a sense of community.
The experience was divided into a day and evening program. The day program is designed to develop team-building skills. The days were filled with a variety of individual and core group challenges, such as problem solving, ropes course initiative (low and/or high), exploration of natural history of New England, mountain hiking up Black Mountain, and jobs assigned to the core group such as cooking prep, cleaning, etc.
The night program began with the core group. The groups would be comprised of a night walk, which was a learning experience about nocturnal animals and adaptation to darkness, experiments with night vision, and exploring the powers of other senses. The night program also featured a talent show and whole group activities that allowed the entire grade to bond, but more important, to have fun.
The core groups were pre-assigned by BB&N chaperones. Students were placed in 8-10 co-ed groups. A Hulbert instructor was assigned to individual groups. The core group worked together, ate lunch together, participated in evening activities as a unit, and engaged in discussions before, during, and after the activity.
There was a set of agreements that each group produced and the goal of the agreement was to come up with rules concerning the actions of individuals and the group. All students were given three non-negotiables that they had to follow while at Hulbert, which were: 1) to always act in a manner that was physically and emotionally safe; 2) to use helpful, productive language, giving and receiving positive and honest feedback; and 3) to participate 100 percent in the program through what was called “CHALLENGE BY CHOICE.”
The sixth graders had a terrific time and we hope that they returned back to school with new friendships, an understanding of teamwork, and a new sense of what they are capable of as individuals.
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