For many freshmen, needing to show up to school a day early and attend the grade-wide overnight trip seemed like nothing but a burden. No one knew what to expect, and the first-day jitters didn’t help. The students who had been at Fieldston Middle saw it as an excuse to catch up with their friends, while the new students were nervous at the thought of sharing a cabin with people they had just met. The Junior Peer Mentors who also had to attend the trip were slightly intimidated by the fact that they would be partially in charge of the hyperactive fourteen-year-olds. But the point of the trip was to break down this nervousness and form bonds between students, so these feelings didn’t last long.
Upon arriving at the peaceful camp, the grade was split up into groups based on advisory, and each group was given a rotation of activities to go to, such as a team-building game at the ropes course, paddle boarding and canoeing, and swimming in the pool. Although some of the freshmen rolled their eyes at the thought of having to play games in a field with a bunch of their classmates, many of them ended up enjoying themselves and getting to know their fellow advisory members. Even the JPMs had fun cooling off in the pool and walking around the camp. Unfortunately, not everyone had fun with these activities, and a few of the freshmen agreed that “hanging out with each other on [their] own was more fun than the games.” In between activities, the students were allowed to explore the camp or play sports independently, which was more fun for certain students as they got to spend the time with their friends instead of in advisories.
After dinner, the whole grade sat by the bonfire and made s’mores, a chaotic but delicious activity. Many of the freshmen sat in quiet cliques with their friends, so the JPMs took charge and began a (somewhat dangerous) dance party. Most of the bonding, however, took place at night, when the JPMs rounded everyone up in the cabins. Here, the students could ask their JPMs any questions they had about starting high school, and the Junior Peer Mentors offered their advice and tips in response. Some of the conversations were more productive than others, but almost all the freshmen walked away with a better sense of what the year would look like. “The overnight part was the best part of the trip,” one freshman said, remembering how she stayed up chatting with her friends after dark. One group of students unanimously agreed that being able to talk together after the teachers and counselors left was the highlight of the trip.
The goal of the trip was for the freshmen to bond with each other so that they entered the school year with a stronger grade connection, and so that the new students did not feel so isolated. “I liked meeting all the new kids,” one student said, and the close proximity led to the start of many friendships. Although everyone’s experience was a little different, this trip was seen as a success. In the simple but perfect words of a freshman who prefers not to be named, “It was a great trip! We had fun, and it was a good bonding experience.”
