UPPER SCHOOL
In ninth grade, students enter into Leadership and have the opportunity to increase their understanding and effectiveness in areas that are critical to effective leaders. With communication, students study the impacts of speaking and listening in group settings. They study different leadership styles and study effective motivational and involvement techniques. Goal setting is explored as is positive reinforcement and honest communication. Throughout the course, students are building the foundations for becoming leaders for life.
In tenth grade, students enter into the outdoor portion of the course with a focus on Ecology. This course aims to increase awareness of how we impact one another’s lives and the impact we have on our environment. The immediate goal is to reconnect students with their natural surroundings and with their fellow man. Subject material will run the gamut of biodiversity, sustainability, teamwork, group dynamics, effective communication skills, and risk management. Students in this course have the opportunity to be leaders in the school and facilitate outdoor education opportunities for younger students.
In eleventh grade, students take a Wilderness Survival course. This course focuses heavily on self-reliance with skill-building in orienteering, fire building, effective ways to purify water, shelter building, and trapping.
Eleventh and twelfth grades are given the opportunity to select Outdoor Education as their major. Students in this major will be exposed to many aspects of the Outdoor Education profession. Students in the Outdoor Education major will assist in teaching classes, creating curriculum, planning trips, and learn to set and maintain budgets for projects.
This year's Outdoor Education majors students are researching, planning, budgeting, and creating a curriculum for a new and innovative low ropes element for our school's challenge course.