Last week, a weary, but excited group of 6th grade students, teachers, and parents returned from a two night, three day adventure known as 6th Grade Campout.
6th Grade Campout, a long-standing tradition involving MVES students, staff, parents and community volunteers provides MVES sixth graders with an opportunity to participate in a variety research and team-building activities in their own backyard — The Methow Valley and North Cascades National Park.
The activities were coordinated and facilitated by 6th Grade Campout Coordinator, Patti Somerville, MVES staff, Methow Arts, local fisheries biologists, historians, and parent volunteers. They challenged each student to skillfully communicate their thoughts and ideas through writing and various artistic mediums, display self-management skills while gathering, analyzing, and interpret data related to the surrounding ecosystems, and think critically about their environment and the complex challenges and opportunities that exist both locally and globally. In addition, the campout also serves as an opportunity to engage in a variety of team-building activities and test themselves physically by hiking Maple Pass — a trail designed by our own Ellis Fink and constructed by Deed Fink while serving on a trail crew.
Thank you Patti Somerville, Tyler Slostad, Carrie Fink, Anne Andersen, John Crandall, Methow Arts, the many parent volunteers, and community members for facilitating an epic adventure and lifetime memory for our students!