Students in 7th grade kicked off the school year with a three-day stay at the Hulbert Outdoor Center in Vermont. The trip served as an opportunity for students to step outside of their comfort zones as they developed leadership skills and explored the natural environment. Weeks later, the impact of the trip can still be seen in the Middle School, with students carrying the connections they made in Vermont into everyday school life.
I was a little nervous about the trip because I’m new to Beaver and I didn’t really know anyone. After the trip, I really feel more connected to people, which is cool!
Zachary Wayne ’32
The trip—which has emerged as a yearly tradition at Beaver—is intentionally scheduled within the first week of school as a way to bridge gaps between new and returning students. “Over half of the students in 7th grade are new to Beaver this year,” mentioned Ann Bevan Hollos, Associate Director of the Middle School. “We really wanted to have the new and returning students get to know each other quickly, making new friends and learning how to work together as a team.”
Upon arriving, students hit the ground running—literally and figuratively. Students faced challenges such as raiding a pirate ship, using ropes to transport a student on a wooden frame, and planning absurd performances for a talent show. One evening activity required students to rely solely on communication to recreate a LEGO build. “Somebody went away to a room to look at a LEGO monster,” Alice Claflin ’32 shared. “They would come back and tell people what the monster looked like and the team tried to build it. It was bonding for us as a team.”
The Vermont trip put us all together and had us talk to people that we didn’t know yet, which was actually really fun.
Alice Claflin ’32
Despite embarking on the same journey, each student came away from the trip raving about different moments. “We got to do a ropes course with zip lines,” shared Kai Pope ’32. “You had to have a harness, and there were zip lines to go on.” Another highlight was hiking, which brought students into the Vermont landscape. As Alice Claflin ’32 reflected, “I learned some good hiking skills. There was a big mountain we went to.”
Some unexpected highlights came from the in-between moments of the trip—trading candy on the bus, debriefing about the day in the cabins, and sharing meals together as a group. “There are so many moments that stand out to me,” shared Ann Bevan Hollos. “Sharing meals family style, having students take on jobs of serving and cleaning up. The last day the kids had to vacuum their rooms; watching them learn how to use a vacuum was awesome—what a life skill!”
The trip to the Hulbert Outdoor Center was a fresh start for both new and returning students. Students came back to Beaver with a deeper sense of belonging amongst their peers, a collection of memories and inside jokes, and leadership skills to employ throughout the year.
There were some kids I didn’t really talk to before we left, but when we came back I was like good friends with them.
Kai Pope ’32