written by Jean Peters, Elementary Program Director
Greetings from Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro, MN!
The third years are off at their last class and then headed home from their first Key Experience. I have been going on trips with kids for decades and it always inspires me. We often think of school in regards to academic gain, test scores, or work engagement/completion, but Dr. Montessori believed that education is a preparation for life. The goal of education is not to memorize facts, but to learn how to be a member of a community and to find what your gift is to give back to that community.
One of the goals of this trip was to mix up students in preparation for moving to Upper Elementary and being in new classrooms. There were so many moments of connections and new friendships, moments of support and comfort, moments of joy and disappointment. All of these things occur in community. Many times during the last few days another adult and I would witness an interaction or a personal triumph and make eye contact and smile, or put our hand on our heart. Our kids were amazing, both individually and collectively.
The staff at Eagle Bluff gave rave reviews on how well our kids participated. They showed interest and curiosity during their classes which included: a river hike, group games, water wigglers, and learning about the original people on this land, the Oneota. GRS was given two awards, one for being “food wise” and decreasing the amount of food waste at meals, and another for “eagle eye”, which is for being a steward of the earth.
Key experiences are part of the foundation of GRS. These students will head off to Widjiwagan in the fall for a week. and will get to experience ten years of Key Experiences which allows for both personal growth and community growth. That is pretty amazing! It takes a lot of adult work to make all of these trips happen; many adults work tirelessly to support these excursions, both before they happen and on the trip. Adults on the trip get to experience the highs and the lows, and it is both an amazing and exhausting time. Many parents volunteer to support these trips! We really appreciate their generous efforts and know we couldn’t do it without them. If you happen to see a staff member, feel free to say thanks for their aid in giving students this opportunity.
