On Sept. 11, more than 130 Oyster Bay High School seventh-graders and 11 of their teachers took part in a special outing to the Nassau BOCES Outdoor Education Center in Brookville. This field work was intended to give students an opportunity to connect with each other and their teachers in a meaningful way.
During the four-hour visit to the center, students participated in a number of team-building activities such as a trust walk, rope swing, tightrope and many others. The activities were led by a team of BOCES naturalists who fostered problem-solving, collaboration and good communication skills with students in their small groups as they navigated various low rope challenges and obstacles. Students were encouraged to take risks and responsibility and to show respect for others. The field work at Outdoor Education was an introduction to social-emotional learning at the middle school and part of an effort to give students a greater understanding of the Dignity for All Students Act and their rights and responsibilities as middle schoolers.
This program was made possible with the financial support of the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District. The OBHS Parent-Teacher-Student Association gave each seventh-grade student a T-shirt as a welcome gift to the high school—most students wore their new shirts that day in a show of school pride and unity.
OBHS eighth-graders will take part in a similar field work experience at the Nassau BOCES Outdoor Education Center on Friday, Oct. 30.
Some of the seventh-grade students shared their impressions about the experience:
“I loved the rope swing. I liked climbing and boosting people up the wall too,” said Peter Kaufman.
“My favorite part was when we had to swing on a rope from one platform to another,” said Salvatore Mangano. “On the trip I learned a lot about team work and nature.”
“The trip was fun. My favorite part was when my group played moonball. I also liked the spider webs, balance beam and jump roping,” said Emma Guarini.
“I enjoyed all of the ropes activities we did, especially the course where you had a partner on the other end of the ropes and had to walk across and pass each other on the ropes that were off the ground,” said Rachel DiCarali.
