Otter Lake

Have you ever been to overnight camp? Was it fun? Well, the 5th graders of Chickering School will be going on a fun and educational trip to Nature’s Classroom in Greenfield, New Hampshire. We interviewed parents, two teachers, one of whom actually attended the camp when she was in sixth grade. Parents said that they were very excited for this opportunity for their children but worried about missing them.

The parents learned at a meeting in September that, in May 2011, the 5th grader’s of Chickering School will be going to Nature’s Classroom in Greenfield, New Hampshire. This fun trip will last 4 days and 3 nights. The 5th graders will be doing fun and educational activities. Some parents were anxious and nervous, but they  agreed that it would be a great experience for their child. An individual from Nature’s Classroom made a  presentation for the parent’s of the 5th graders. They enjoyed how thorough, complete, and descriptive he was. The parents had some very good questions about  Nature’s Classroom, for example, would somebody monitor the kids to make sure they don’t do the same activities over and over again? What if there was bad weather the whole time? Parents had a great time learning about what their child will be doing during this fun and educational trip.

Regular Day at Nature’s Classroom

7:15 – Rise and Shine!
8:00 – Breakfast & Clean Up
9:30 – Field Experiences
12:00 – Lunch Free Time New Games
2:00 – Special Interests
4:00 – Special Interests
6:00 – Dinner and free time
7:30 – Night Walk
9:00 – Snacks
9:30 – Quiet Sing

We asked Ms Yorston some questions about what teachers thought about Nature’s Classroom. When we asked her if she had any worries she said ” NO, I am very excited and eager to do this.” By her answer it seems to us she has no worries about any of the programs or how kids will react. They have been thinking about this trip for a long time and have decided to finally plunge forward and do it. The reason for this was to have everybody participate in something together rather than some people doing it and others not. This will be a wonderful experience for 5th graders and staff members in Chickering School going to New Hampshire on this field trip. Too allay any concerns about this new experience we talked to our own alumn.

In the 6th grade, one of our own 5th grade teachers went on the same trip we are about to do in May-June 2011. Knowing that we were going, we had to ask her all about it. Ms Varley gave us all a wonderful idea of what the camp was like, which gave many families the “OK” for their child to go. We asked her a bunch of questions, such as, how many kids sleep in a cabin or how do they decide who is in each cabin’s with each other, her answers were, there are nine campers and one councilor per cabin and we get to pick one of the kids in our cabin, the others are random. We will also be having a buffet styled meal and dessert every night, Ms Varley informed us. We will be working on math, ELA, and team building activities with each other, which all the teachers and kids are looking forward to doing. We also asked a few more questions about her experience at Nature’s Classroom. We found that she went with her school in Holliston when she was eleven and she went in early spring; she had a blast! Knowing what we now know, we, the 5th graders and staff, are prepared for a great time at Nature’s Classroom in the upcoming year of 2011!

We gathered lots of information from interviewing teachers and got the parents’ opinions on how they think this trip will go. We, the students, are very excited to go on this trip to Nature’s Classroom. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to check out the website: http://www.naturesclassroom.org/Greenfield.htm

Reported By: Katie B, Andriana, Caroline C, Brickley, Mariam, and Seika

Images from: http://www.naturesclassroom.org/Greenfield.htm