The Great Outdoors: Nature’s Classroom

At the start of every school year, Upper School students at The Peck School partake in Outdoor Education Trips to ring in the new school year.

Grade 5 spent the day whitewater rafting down the Lehigh River while Grades 6,7, and 8 stayed overnight at YMCA Fairview Lake, Princeton Blairstown Center, and YMCA Camp Mason respectively.

Trip itineraries were packed with activities from rowing boats downstream and rock climbing to making s’mores around the campfire. The experiences that our students get while enjoying the great outdoors teaches them lessons that can’t be achieved in a normal classroom setting. These interactive and team-building trips encourage students to work together to complete tasks, challenge themselves mentally and physically, as well as better get to know their teachers and peers.

“Outdoor education trips are the perfect way to start off the school year as it removes the pressure of starting traditional classwork and puts students in an environment where the main objective is to get to know one another, work together toward common goals, become exposed to new beautiful places and experiences, and above all have fun,” says History Teacher and Outdoor Education Facilitator Dave Carlo. “It also gives teachers the opportunity to get to know their new students for their authentic selves outside of a classroom setting.”

Each trip’s itinerary is thoughtfully planned and provides age-appropriate activities that are challenging yet attainable. Students feel proud of their accomplishments by the end of their trips, whether fifth graders successfully paddle over class II rapids, or eighth graders work together to get every member of their class up and over a 12-foot wall.

The trips are an excellent example of how Peck approaches middle-school education— providing students with unique experiences and opportunities that create memories for a lifetime!