Experiential Recap

Tenth and Eleventh Grade students had a memorable time on the Mother Lode trip last week! For some of our students, it was their first time staying overnight on a Stanbridge experiential trip. Students stepped out of their comfort zones to have new experiences, which helped boost their confidence and helped them realize that they are capable of doing many things. Following are a few highlights from the trip:

• Students loved the ropes courses, which included wall climbing, crossing a high balance beam, zip-lining, and taking a leap of faith jump from a very tall tree. Students conquered their fears in order to experience these challenges and they spoke very highly of these activities.
• Students loved the food! The Mother Lode kitchen staff provided delicious meals that the kids raved about, including a yummy cheesecake dessert which they had with dinner on the final night. Students also got to make s'mores on one of the nights, and they had a blast singing "Down By The Bay" around the campfire. Camaraderie was clearly in the air!
• The biggest highlight of the trip was the students getting to experience whitewater rafting! Several of them had never whitewater rafted before, and they quickly got into it! On Thursday, students were taught safety skills on dry land for the following day: how to properly paddle and how to pull someone back into the raft should they fall out (which they only ended up needing to know for those who chose to go overboard into calm waters). Friday morning was the big day where students geared up and got to paddle down the river! It was an exciting experience students will not soon forget!