Highland Forest

Twice a year, children at The New School enjoy an overnight camping trip at Highland Forest.  In September a main objective of the field trip is to encourage and facilitate friendships between children of all ages. Teachers plan activities using many different groupings, to allow children to get to know each other. The campfire on Thursday evenings also gives parents an opportunity to get to know each other. Typically there is a brief introduction session after the potluck dinner.

Hiking trips through the forest are typically focused on a science theme. This year older students on Thursday, September 23, went geocaching. Following a discussion on longitude and latitude and GPS technology, children hiked through the forest looking for three different caches. They were successful and enjoyed signing the logs which were hidden in each cache. Younger children hiked the nature trail and collected pine cones, leaves and needles which we then discussed. Children love to play Flash Flood, Camouflage and Dead Bug while hiking through the woods.

On Friday, September 24 all the children played a game where they made bracelets showing their journey as a water droplet throughout "The Water Cycle." Then children were divided into three groups and set off to identify ten different trees, making leaf and bark rubbings as they went.

Throughout both days children have many opportunities to play, enjoy the outdoors, and look for critters!