Early childhood through grade 12

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Hawthorne Valley Association

Trips

Planned excursions in Middle School and High School provide important opportunities for growth and learning

At Hawthorne Valley School we prioritize the role of outdoor experiences and cultural excursions in the healthy development of a human being. Spending time in nature reduces stress levels, helps to hone students’ senses so that they better take in their surroundings, builds physical strength, boosts concentration skills, and leads to a more engaged person. Spending time visiting an urban environment or other culture enhances our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) work and introduces our students to a world of possibilities. With intentions and planning we seek to provide opportunities for our students to learn outside the classroom and to visit places that stimulate their curiosity about life. In addition, participating in outdoor trips in the adolescent years fosters social cohesion in the class, helps teenagers develop leadership skills and fosters a mood of reverence and curiosity at a time when many teens turn inwards and become more cynical. Whether it is a short winter hike, a week-long canoe trip, a Civil Rights journey to landmarks in the south, a day trip to a high-ropes course, a service project, or an outing to see a theatrical performance, our planned excursions in Middle School and High School provide important opportunities for growth and learning. Scroll down for a listing of some of the trips that the different grades have taken in past years.

Five women stand posing for the photo in front of ocean waves and giant rocks in the shore.
A view of a green landscape filled with trees on a mountain, a snowy mountain in the back, and a few old buildings scattered among the trees.
A view from an old building balcony overlooking a masterfully manicured garden with squared off bushes planted to make four squares. All around are palm trees and other kinds of trees, in the background are other old, beautifully crafted buildings scattering among the tropical area.
High school class of fourteen people standing in front of a mural on a brick wall. The mural is a young girl resting her head on books that say, " Budget & Save" and "CHS Class of Fifteen" where the titles would be. It is nighttime outside.
Two high school students stand in a museum showcasing Elvis's famous outfits, each separated in glass containers, next and on top of one another. The students face away from the camera looking at one suit one of the students is pointing his finger at.
High school students sit in different bus seats in a replica bus where a statue of Rosa Parks is sitting on one of the front seats.
A group of high school students is at a distance standing under a massive tree which is among other big trees in a park. Their branches extremely long as the sun shines through them.
a line of high school students silhouetted at the ocean; they are running toward the water together at sunset; the beach and water are both silvery in color
Senior class at Hermit Island, Maine in 2019 poses for a group shot outdoors at the shore

Past trips by grade

Grade 1 – local trips

Grade 2 – horseback riding

Grade 3 – Farm Trip

Grade 4 – Eerie Canal (locks)

Grade 5 – smaller trips (such as a bike trip, camping), The Olympiad

Grade 6 – caving, New York City cultural trip and/or The Cloisters, camping trip in the Spring

Grade 7 – Hulbert Center, camping trip in the Spring

Grade 8 – wilderness trip (canoeing), Washington DC or other cultural experience

Grade 9 – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Farm Practicum, Moby Dick, Catamount high ropes course

Grade 10 – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Catamount high ropes course

Grade 11 – The South, Catamount high ropes course

Grade 12 – Hermit Island, senior service trip, Walden Pond, Catamount high ropes course