The 8th Grade Takes an "Inchanted Journey" to North Carolina

The 8th grade trip is a right of passage for students, testing their resolve and strengthening their bonds of friendship.

(Above :Families of the 8th graders send their students off on their adventure.)

During the first week of September, the 8th graders adventured into the mountains of North Carolina with Jeremey Schewe's Inchanted Journeys. They camped in the wilderness, foraged for wild foods, and learned to prepare some traditional Cherokee meals with

friends from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee.

The students learned to cook on fires made without matches and to set up a clean, safe base camp. They collected and filtered drinking water and identified medicinal plants. They also had lots of fun playing in the waterfalls, enjoying music and singing, learning new games, making primitive pottery, and listening to local lore.

Reflections By Ryann Turner, 8th Grade Lead Teacher:

"As I have been reflecting on our adventure, the thing that I keep coming back to again and again is the utter kindness and team spirit that the kids displayed to each other throughout the trip.

"While it was a truly unforgettable experience, it was filled with both joys and challenges. On the first night we arrived, we were immediately faced with setting up our camp and trying to cook dinner in a downpour. We were all soaked and tired, but together, we figured out a way to create a temporary lean-to from tarps and branches so that Ms. Harwood could cook our delicious dinner. It was not an easy start to the week, but I have the most profound pride in how they came together and took care of one another during the most challenging moments while they were far from home.

"As the week progressed, we found our stride and began to experience the delight of being immersed in those beautiful North Carolina woods. The majority of the pictures show them exploring the incredible waterfalls that were abundant on the property. I think if you asked them, this would likely be their favorite part. There were exciting climbing opportunities every day and many epic mud ball fights. Some pics show them cooking foraged foods together, learning to start a fire from only coals, composing their own camp song, and taking part in a meditative Chan Buddhist tea ceremony! We had quite the week!"

(The group returns!)