Field Trip Heaven

So last week we went on a 3 day overnight field trip to Buena Vista at the 100 Elk Ranch. The road to that beautiful camp was a bit crazy at first with trying to get all the kids onto the bus and all of their stuff onto the bus as well. We made the 3 (and change) hour drive with only one stop which amazed me. We were riding 2 regular school buses without bathrooms (never thought I'd say I miss our field hockey buses but man, it made me miss them) so our one potty break was unbelievable to me. The funniest part was that Emily, my co-5th grade intern had to teach some of the girls how to squat in the woods to go... potty. This, while funny imagining it, also surprised me (like many of the things my kids do). I honestly can't say when I "learned" to squat in the woods but it is something I definitely knew before 5th grade. It is just another thing that made me grateful for my upbringing. My parents did a wonderful job exposing me to as many things as they good so that when I grew up (still waiting to of course) I could have many memories to fall back on. When we arrived at the camp we quickly moved into our cabins (Em and I were together for that and our "day groups") and had lunch out on the lawn. Sitting in the sun surrounded by the kids and my co-teachers, I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer. I was just so happy to be there and share this amazing experience with my kids that I wanted it to be perfect. I love the mountains, and I feel at home there, something about being away from the city just makes my soul feel better. Knowing my kids could maybe form the same kind of relationship just.... well, it made me feel happy and kind of proud. We headed off to the high ropes course after lunch and literally launched the kids into the trees. Having done a high ropes course before (and... well not necessarily enjoyed it) I was amazed at how fearless my kids were. They all took such amazing risks and didn't let their inexperience keep them grounded. The other awesome thing was how well they supported each other. It solidified my belief in the concept of "crew". Crew is something that EL learning is based on and it's kind of like a more advanced homeroom. We play initiatives that bring the group together and create a trusting community within the classroom walls. Crew translates outside the classroom as was demonstrated at this activity. Many of my kids struggled with the "leap of faith" aka climb a tree stand on a tiny platform and just jump into the air.... yeah, sounds like a blast right? Well needless to say my kids were so brave and capable, I was just proud. For the ones who struggled they had a big group of their friends to fall back on. We had a great large "family" style dinner with all of the staff mixed with the kids. The thing I absolutely loved about this trip was that I got to know so many different kids that I didn't know before. I feel so much more integrated into the kids lives, I can't wait to get to know them even more. After dinner we split into two groups and our group headed down to the other lodge to play "Gaga". Now I was hoping it was some game focused around the Lady herself however I was woefully wrong and thankfully so. "Gaga" is this awesome game with a volleyball, an inclosed rink, and rules like reverse soccer. The kids loved it, we, the staff, loved it and it was an awesome 2 hours. We then headed off to bed and... well... the bed was too small for me. Knowing I'm tall never made me think I wouldn't fit into a bed. I mean there are plenty of people who are taller than me, how on earth did they go to this camp? I was honestly in a bed made for a tiny person like a 5th grader not a 23 year old. So it was a longgggg night for big old me. The next day I woke up so excited for everything we would do that. After breakfast we headed off on a hike up the ridge to see what we could find! What we found (among other things) a horse graveyard. The kids literally lost their minds with collecting bones and touching bones and touching the still semi-fresh-ish leg.... We then started to "quietly" chase a deer through the woods to see what it would do. The funniest part was when the deer pooped and we went to check it out. Obviously the kids got all into the body humor.... It was so calming to just be walking around the hills and breathing the fresh air. I was happy and at peace... This separation from school and work and crazy life, made me feel so much less stressed. I really wished I hadn't left. It was so great up there. Later Thursday afternoon was kind of discombobulated to say the least. One of the kids got sick so Emily and I had to split the time watching her and being with our group. This was my least favorite part just because I didn't want to be inside and miss the fun the kids were having. But thus is the life of an intern. Anyways, after yet another yummy dinner our group was treated to a fun campfire. It was full of song and dance allowing the kids to shake it all out and have fun. I obviously loved it since camp was such a highlight of my childhood. Going to bed that night was much harder for me knowing how poorly I had slept the night before and also knowing we had to get up earlier on friday. When the morning bell rang Friday I knew we had a bit of a struggle in front of us. Task 1: Get the girls to pack ALL of their stuff. Task 2: Get the girls to put all of their stuff outside and later to the bus. Task 3: Clean the cabin. Task 4: Clean the bathroom so the "chrome" shines... Task 5: all of the above BEFORE 7:15 am... YIKES but somehow we did it all. Em and I were super impressed with the way the girls just took to the tasks and didn't complain. After breakfast and making our sack lunches we headed down to the rock gym for our final rotation. We climbed the walls and then did an initiative that made the kids work together and collaborate for a common goal. We then rushed to catch the buses back home and barely made it to school in time.... When the dust from the 3 days finally settled I realized that my time at tollgate is half over. Or will be at the end of this week. I ignored this thought and slept wonderfully in a bed of the right size!