Imagine a classroom that is the forest itself. Can you hear the leaves rustling and falling as the autumn breeze sweeps through the valley? Can you feel the cool stream bubbling through your fingers as it snakes its way through rocks and cavities? Are you able to picture the view of our beautiful driftless region from the perch of a blufftop?
Nature is a great teacher, especially for the adolescent, who is at a time of development in which she is trying to figure out who she is and how she relates to the community and world. Each fall, all Adolescent Program students embark on a multiple day and night adventure with their guides to spend time together in the wild and mysterious places our earth provides and learn more about themselves and each other.
Some would find embarking on this type of trip with 30 teenagers to be a daunting task, but to our guides at LMSS, this is a precious time to build bonds of trust and connection that will last throughout the school year. Through the selected photos below, you will see how our LMSS adolescents were able to shed the fast-paced technology driven life and discover the fun in natural places, while learning more about the environment, Montessori education, and their place in the LMSS family.
Students planned and cooked meals for each other.
STEM challenge to create a vessel to hold ½ cup of water for 1 minute using natural materials!
STEM challenge to build a shelter that can hold at least 4 people!
Hiking!
Students exploring the stream near the cabins.
More hiking!
Socratic seminar on a writing by Dr. Maria Montessori regarding the adolescent.
Students carving walking sticks.
The last night ended with a series of humorous and entertaining performances during “Coffeehouse.”
Here are the amazing young people who made this trip memorable!