Each week our students participate in Learning Outside the Classroom, a hallmark of the University School approach to learning. In addition to 30+ day-long field trips a year, each division also goes on a multi-day trip to explore the world further. Our IS students embarked on a trip to Camp St. Christopher on Seabrook Island to participate in the Barrier Island Environmental Education Program.
Participating in an overnight trip was a new addition to our IS curriculum this year, and it was truly a memorable experience for all of the students. They learned about many scientific disciplines and experienced the Lowcountry’s environment for 3 days and 2 nights, allowing them to make some great connections to what they’re learning in the classroom back here at USL. They also participated in team building activities and learned the importance of serving one another through various jobs in the dining hall. In their written reflections about the experience, though, it was the “mud pit” and the food that were ranked as the most memorable parts of the trip! Who can resist a delightfully full belly and someone actually encouraging you to get dirty?
Here’s a recap of the trip in the words of 4th grader Matthew Wright:
“At Barrier Island we had lunch jobs like bus person and waiter. We got to hold a bird wing and have a scavenger hunt, and we caught dragonflies, too! The sunset was so pretty. The mud pit was 1.5 miles away from our cabin. Reilly and I watched the stars. We made a trash timeline to show how long trash takes to break down. In the mud pit we got so muddy and wet. We learned about entomology, the study of bugs! Each night we went to the beach. It was a memorable trip because the people made learning fun.”
