Burrell School District sixth graders spent two days at camp in May as they expanded their learning opportunities beyond the classroom walls, focusing on core subjects and learning about team building, the environment, and various sports.
About 100 students traveled 50 miles northwest of Huston Middle School to participate in Camp Huston at Lutherlyn campgrounds in Prospect, Pa. The annual camping trip, formerly known as Camp Soles, dates back to 1999 when the first group of sixth graders attended the overnight learning activity. The camp experience is open to all sixth-grade students.
Camp Huston, a unique learning environment, provides an opportunity for 6th graders to explore the environment through hands-on activities, said sixth-grade teacher Kelli Williams-Slosky, who helped organize the event. Students engage in a diverse range of activities during camp that not only reinforce lessons from their core classes but also offer challenging experiences in a traditional classroom, such as team building, canoeing, fishing, archery, and others.
Students stay overnight Wednesday through Friday in cabins and then spend their days participating in numerous learning and other activities, including campfire cooking, singing, fishing, geocaching, impairment, rocketry, stream studies, survival hiking, zip-lining, bingo, gaga ball, crafts, and yard games. Many students attending this event will participate in such activities for the first time.
But the real focus at Camp Huston is on the environment, Williams-Slosky said. The emphasis on environmental education is a testament to our school's commitment to sustainability and our students' understanding of their role in preserving our planet.
"While on the survival hike, they not only learn about the geological timeline and its connection with the area they are hiking, but they also learn about erosion and its impact," she said. "They learn this while hiking a switchback trail, which is specific in its design to help avoid erosion. While at stream studies, they hypothesize about a body of water and its ability to sustain life. By catching and releasing organisms and testing pH, nitrates, ammonia, and turbidity, they can discern the water's ability to sustain life."
Students often stumble into unplanned lessons when they cross paths with some local wildlife when moving from station to station at camp. Team-building exercises encourage collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills, and activities are run by Lutherlyn staff and Burrell teachers.
At Camp Huston, students are not just learning, they are growing. Beyond the dedicated team-building sessions, students are often grouped with individuals outside their immediate peer group, fostering interactions with various personalities. They also stay in a cabin with this same group, encouraging them to collaborate to make their temporary living harmonious, resolve conflicts, and share a routine. This unique experience at Camp Huston is a testament to our students' personal growth and development.