Experiential Learning at Camp Manitou
Boys in Grades 7 and 9 travelled north to Camp Manitou from October 7 to 9 to learn outside of school and bond with their classmates.
The theme for the Grade 7 trip was “sustainability” and this was explored through both an environmental lens (how the boys can be good stewards of the environment) and a team building lens (how the boys can best work together this year).
Having some time at school prior to the trip helped with its success says Charlie Mills ’99, Middle School teacher and Subject Head of Interdisciplinary Studies at Crescent. “We set the tone here at school before we went to Manitou.”
Carson McGregor, Upper School Communication Technology Teacher, saw the Grade 9 trip as a great opportunity for boys to get to know their newest classmates. “It's a big grade, there's a lot of new boys,” he says. “I encouraged them to play different games against each other and really get to know people beyond their friend group.”
Thanks to the change in environment, activities for both grades were largely outdoors and active. They included adventure games, archery, trust exercises, a low ropes course, a climbing wall and a cookie-baking contest. Grade 9s held a dodgeball tournament with student teams divided by House. “The activities brought out unbelievable moments from the boys,” says McGregor. “An entire House of boys cheered for one of their peers to get up the (climbing) wall.”
Mills hosted a talk about sustainability and interdependence with the Grade 7 boys. “I asked them what these words mean to them in a group context,” he says. “Words like compassion and understanding and love came up as they discussed what they needed from one another to be successful throughout the year.”
On the second and final night, the two groups came together for a campfire. Treated to a beautiful, clear evening and a special musical interlude by a Manitou staff member and Mr. Mills, the boys joined in for some call-and-answer songs. Three Grade 9 students spoke to their Grade 7 brothers to share how they came to appreciate their Middle School journeys, encouraging them to embrace the experience and in particular the unique support of their Mentors. “It was a bit of a reflective moment for the Grade 7 boys on the year they're about to have,” says McGregor.
