Rudolf Steiner School

Beyond The Classroom

Grade 7 Trip to Glenbrook
by Roger Reed, Parent

On the first day of school after the picnic, I headed to Marlborough, New Hampshire, where I would chaperone the 7th grade on their class trip to Glenbrook. There they would not only have the opportunity to navigate through both low and high ropes courses, but also hike to the top of Mount Monadnock. During these action packed days, the children transform in many ways. They have the chance to challenge themselves and their peers both physically and mentally. Every one of them certainly came home with new experiences and new horizons. There were many wonderful moments of discovery during those days, but there was one specifically that stands out in my mind.

On Friday, after main lesson in the dining room, we made our bag lunches and headed off to hike up Mount Monadnock, a 2 hour trek up, (and 2 back!,) up to the barren rocky top, where on a clear day you can see Boston. There was also another school group there, making it quite noisy on top of the whistling wind. It was clear but we had to settle for the mirror reflections sent up by the staff back down the mountain at Glenbrook.

After our lunch, we started to explore around a bit. There was a small pool of water in a depression of the rocks in which some of our students and some of the other group had discovered that there were pollywogs in this high altitude pool. Bright green, with four legs formed, their tails slowly being absorbed. Fascinating little ecosystem. One of our girls carefully scooped them up for closer observation while the other students grabbed wildly and futilely for their prey. How did they get here? What were they? How many are there? The questions were almost as thick as the little creatures, when a voice boomed out, "Get your hands out of that filthy, disgusting water. If you can't show some responsibility, then I guess you will have to lose some of your freedoms." It was the voice of one of the adults from the other group. By her tone of authority, I guessed it was their teacher. I stood in utter shock. Filthy? Disgusting? I figured it was rainwater, there was no other source up here. It was full of life, intrigue and discovery. Her charges shirked away, back to sit on the rocks. I was so thankful for our teaching philosophy of hands-on (in) learning.

The woman returned to later again chase her students away. This time I challenged her on her description. She said, "Well, there might be Giardia!" I assured her that I hadn't seen any signs of a beaver the whole trip. "Well, someone might have peed in it!" So. . . ? There was no logical or intellectual discussion to be had. I was very tempted to jump into the little pool but it would have scared the little critters. One of our students had deducted that they were in fact tree frogs, by observing their sticky foot pads. They would mature, head for lower territory when the time was right or end up as part of the food chain. What a great view I had that day. I chortled to myself all the way down.