The seventh grade class is currently on their annual trip to Stokes Forest. Here are some updates, directly from them!
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Wednesday, February 25, 2015
“Wednesday started out nicely. We loaded the bus at MFS. From there, we went on a long ride to get to Stokes Forest. Once we arrived in Branchville, NJ, we received orientation and learned (among other things) that this great place occupies 30,000 acres!
In all honesty, the weather wasn’t too bad. We were kind of disappointed about how warm it was (about 30 degrees, although, it did get colder later). Next, we had a delicious lunch of chicken nuggets and french fries, with peaches and delectable cupcakes.
Following lunch, everyone split into their respective groups (Polar Bear, Narwhal, Penguin, and Walrus). The different classes were Survival, Black Bear Ecology, Water Ecology, and Beaver Ecology. In the late afternoon, we had “New Games,” an assortment of games such as freeze tag, tug of war, falling goat tag, and sharks and minnows.
For dinner, we ate yet another savory meal of salad, spaghetti, chicken parmesan, and of course, brownies (and don’t forget the bread). The evening was capped off with a night hike followed by a presentation about raptors. We got to see two owls, a red tailed hawk, and a bald eagle!
And after that of course, we wrote this blog. Off to bed and we are excited for more outdoor adventures tomorrow!”
–Henry Powell, Miles Oglesby, and the rest of the seventh grade class
Thursday, February 26, 2015
“We woke up on day two to a very chilly morning and went to breakfast. For breakfast, we had waffles and cereal. It was a fair tasting meal. After breakfast we split into our groups and started up our activities (Black Bear Ecology, Beaver Ecology, Survival, and Water Ecology).
Each class spends some time in a classroom, but we’re mostly out in nature. The Water Ecology class drilled holes in the ice, and the Survival class learned what provisions are most needed to make do if you’re lost in the wild. After one class, we all went to lunch. For lunch we had great burgers, crispy french fries, and brownies for dessert. It was a great meal! After two more classes, we went to dinner, which was Thanksgiving themed. We had turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and green beans.
After dinner, we chilled in the cabin for a while. Then we went to the longhouse to see a man named Bill Boesenberg who had a ton of reptiles for us to touch and see. He was very funny! Finally, we lit a campfire and made s’mores. Then we went to sleep, awaiting another great day.
Now we are playing on the ice, and then we will go home! The Stokes Forest trip has been a great adventure for all of us.”
—Aaron Klein, Jacob DelAngel, Jack Heffelfinger, and the rest of the seventh grade class