Outdoor Ed experience?

[Anonymous]

Any experiences with the Smith Environmental Education Center in Rockville for 6th grade Outdoor Ed? I am supposed to sign my child’s form and all we got from the school is a single sheet of generic info. Did you do overnight or day option?

[Anonymous]

Kids both had a lot of fun, and did the overnights there. There's lots of info for parents here, including a video:

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/outdoored/parents/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids both had a lot of fun, and did the overnights there. There's lots of info for parents here, including a video:

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/outdoored/parents/

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My kid was kind of bored but said it was "fine". They went early in the year though - maybe he would have had more fun if they had more time to settle in and knew more kids. The programming sounded good, with lots of hands on learning.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s worth doing. You can volunteer to chaperone if you want. Prepandemic I don’t know anyone who did a daytime only version

[Anonymous]

Has your school already gone this year?
Which site?
A school bus or other used to site?

How was your kid's experience?
What type of bedding - sleeping bag or other did they take? Any would-have-been-nice-to-have items?

If you chaperoned, any tips for future chaperones?
Did you drive or ride with students teachers on bus?
What type of bedding did you use?
One pair sneakers and one pair hiking boots enough?
Other items you recommend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s worth doing. You can volunteer to chaperone if you want. Prepandemic I don’t know anyone who did a daytime only version

You can volunteer; know you have to pay a fee. It's the same amount your child pays. In 2023 I think it was $75.

[Anonymous]

$80+$80 now

[Anonymous]

Our 6th grader went to Skycroft not Smith, but had a blast. She said it was like the best slumber party ever. Didn't take hiking boots, sneakers were fine, but it was dry. Sleeping bag was fine, didn't seem to need much beyond basic toiletries and comfortable clothing. A friend chaperoned, she drove.

[Anonymous]

I had twins who went last year, but to a different outdoor Ed site. Overall it was a positive experience and fun.

Kids brought a hiking sneaker and a regular sneaker and only wore the hiking sneaker. Most kids just brought their regular shoes but it wasn’t muddy the week they went so it was fine.

I think I sent pillow, sheets and not-bulky comforter rather than sleeping bag and my kids said that was more comfortable than what others brought.

Showers were not enforced. One kid chose to, other did not. Send shower shoes and towel and travel size toiletries. Also laundry bag for dirty clothes.

Kids came back super dead tired because adult chaperones and teen volunteers allowed other kids to be on YouTube loudly on their phones all night long both nights even though there was a no cellphone policy.

They said the portions of food were inadequate (1 slice of pizza per kid, ex.), but they survived.

The daytime activities were fun and worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had twins who went last year, but to a different outdoor Ed site. Overall it was a positive experience and fun.

Kids brought a hiking sneaker and a regular sneaker and only wore the hiking sneaker. Most kids just brought their regular shoes but it wasn’t muddy the week they went so it was fine.

I think I sent pillow, sheets and not-bulky comforter rather than sleeping bag and my kids said that was more comfortable than what others brought.

Showers were not enforced. One kid chose to, other did not. Send shower shoes and towel and travel size toiletries. Also laundry bag for dirty clothes.

Kids came back super dead tired because adult chaperones and teen volunteers allowed other kids to be on YouTube loudly on their phones all night long both nights even though there was a no cellphone policy.

They said the portions of food were inadequate (1 slice of pizza per kid, ex.), but they survived.

The daytime activities were fun and worthwhile.

I would imagine most students have a cell phone these days and the no phone policy is a little outdated IMO. If only the teachers could collect them all into a basket before bed to hand over the basket to the cabin chaperones (teachers sleep in a separate cabin). The chaperones can store them away (like in a closet) as most students will unlikely turn the phones off at night/airplane or do-not-disturb mode, and those little machines can cause lot of disturbance to the chaperones trying to sleep in cabin.

[Anonymous]

Skycroft. Sleeping bag was most common. a light comforter ok too. Shower slippers or flip flops- bathroom can get wet. Some shower others don't, some in morning others shower at night. Only two bathrooms per cabin, up to 18 students & 2 chaperones. Sometimes nothing for chaperones to do. Fun for kids, big slumber party. Daytime activities both engaging and some boring students said.

[Anonymous]

Drove in our car to the site. But our child rode bus to site with peers, teachers. Way back we both drove home in our car.

[Anonymous]

Take hiking shoes if weather forecast is rain, if not, no need for hiking shoes. One sturdy sneakers will be enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take hiking shoes if weather forecast is rain, if not, no need for hiking shoes. One sturdy sneakers will be enough.

Hiking shoes aren't necessary, but a second (dry) pair is. And dry socks. My kids use an old pair for the sloppy stuff.