By NEIL ZOLOT
WAKEFIELD — One hundred eighty 5th graders took a trip to Camp Bournedale in Plymouth in October and had a great time. “I really liked it,” student Eloise Renzi said at the School Committee meeting Tuesday, December 12. “It was a good trip.”
“It was a lot of fun and good experience,” student Frankie McPherson added. “I’d encourage next year’s 5th graders to go.”
Teacher Sue Langlois led the trip, which was two separate one night stays for half the group. “It’s science-based, with lots of science and social and emotional learning,” she said.
Activities included dissecting a shark and building rockets. “Dissecting a shark was fun,” McPherson said.
The students spent more time at Bournedale than in previous years, skipping a visit to Plimoth Patuxet Museum, formerly Plimoth/Plymouth Plantation, in sympathy with objections from the Mashie Wampanoag tribe about its portrayal of indigenous people.
In addition to education, the trip gave students from different classes and teams time to be together. “I wanted to experience the trip to build friendships,” Renzi said.
“It was a great opportunity for different groups of classes to interact,” her mother and trip chaperone Ashley Renzi added.
School Committee member Peter Davis was a chaperone with his son last year. “It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast,” he said. “Plimoth Patuxet is not as good as it once was. They made the right decision to change it up this year.”
Member Stephan Ingalls said his son also enjoyed going last year. “Calvin loved Bournedale,” he said. “His high points were learning in an outdoor space while working with kids and on subjects new to him and not regularly available in a classroom.
“In terms of the value of the experience, having student groups meet this early in the year is wonderful. They have just transitioned from any of the elementary schools or even other districts and having this shared experience is priceless. They get to learn and collaborate with other students who may be on their team, but up to now have had little interaction with. Hopefully, the experience helps create connections the kids take with them to enhance the cohesiveness of the whole class.”
“Kids get to experience things with other kids,” Superintendent Doug Lyons added. “It pays dividends all year.
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The School Committee was also briefed on and approved a planned 8 day High School Service Learning trip to the Dominican Republic, planned for February 2025, by High School Principal Amy McLeod and Library Media Special Diana Ho.
“Our students requested service learning travel opportunities,” Ho said. “Our itinerary features 25 hours of service and seeks to foster global citizenship and develop a sense of global responsibility and empathy, provide educational enrichment and combine classroom learning with real world experiences and cultivate leadership and encourage students to take initiative and make a positive impact.
“Projects will focus on issues like sustainability, youth development and responsible tourism. The primary focus is on providing service in the central mountain area and work with a village on projects and spending afternoons immersed in cultural activities.”
Costs range from $3,609-3,809 for students and $4,199-4,399, depending on payment plans. Ho said 20-25 students are needed to make the trip viable, but mentioned the possibility of teaming with other districts if necessary. She also said there is a December 31, 2023 deadline for enrollment for reduced fees and a video-conference meeting Tuesday, December 19 at 6:30 p.m. to explain details. Details will also be available through social media and School Messenger.
“This sounds amazing,” Ingalls reacted.
“I’m a huge proponent of these experiences,” member Kevin Piskadlo added.
