By Julia M.
A few weeks ago, the eighth grade went to Sharpe Reservation in Fishkill, New York, for Trips Week. Although the weather left much to be desired, the majority of the trip was a fun-filled experience for everyone. Every day we had multiple leadership sessions with a small group of students and two teachers, who led the discussions. We also had afternoons filled with outdoor activities including high and low ropes courses, boating, and hiking. In the evenings after dinner, we participated in all-group activities that ended up being some of the highlights of the trip. It’s true, we did have to wear raincoats all day, and our activities were interrupted by the extremely wet weather, but I think the whole grade really enjoyed the trip and learned a lot.
The leadership sessions at Fishkill were very informative and fun! We were each given a big binder full of quizzes and activities to promote leadership skills. Our group leaders led discussions about responsibility, self-awareness, and other important attributes of leaders. We acted out scenarios where a good leader would be important, and discussed other helpful topics.
In the afternoons we had a rotating schedule for outdoor activities with our discussion groups. On the first day we got to Fishkill, my group went on the high ropes course. Although the obstacles were pretty intimidating, most of the group challenged themselves and achieved their goals. There were three high ropes that we got to try. First, we all attempted the catwalk, a log suspended between two trees that you had to walk carefully up and down before jumping off. It actually looked harder than it was, and it ended up being very fun and rewarding to complete. We then moved on to a wire that we walked along sideways, with only one rope to hold onto. The final challenge was a huge pole that you stood on top of, and then jumped off in an attempt to catch a trapeze. Spending the day on the high ropes was so much fun, and every group seemed to have a blast. We also did boating and hiking on the second day, and we had a challenge as a group to find our rowboats and get them back to the dock. It was a cold, rainy day, and so not everyone was excited about sitting in wet boats, but it proved to be fun once we started actually boating. On the final full day, we went on a sensory trail, where we had to follow a rope through the woods while we were blindfolded. This was a really great experience, even though we hit our heads on rocks and branches. The low ropes course was composed of many teambuilding activities that required everyone to participate in order to complete a task. Our group worked really well together, and I felt like we bonded when we were doing the activities.
I think the whole eighth grade would agree that the full group activities after dinner every night were the best part of the trip. We watched a movie called The Power of One on the first night. It told the story of a boy in South Africa and how he used his leadership skills to change the lives of those around him. Our other night activities included a night hike, toasting S’mores on a fire, and some hilarious skits about the Country School teachers. The skits were so memorable and funny that I think they might have been the highlight of the trip. Each group mocked a teacher of their choice in a friendly way, and we found out that a few people in our grade have some real acting talent! Being together as the full eighth grade was really special, and it was great to bond with everyone and have such great moments.
The Fishkill trip was an experience that I’ll never forget. The leadership seminars, outdoor activities, and full group fun are things that are sure to stick with us forever. The weather may not have been optimal, but the students, activities, and teachers made the trip great.
