Outdoor Ed experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband would not chaperone. I don't mind to be a volunteer chaperone, but I have a son. I don't know if I could monitor and keep all boys under control. I am petite, and I don't have strong personalities and voice to overpower them if there are any conflicts. My son has done summer sleepaway camp since age 8, so I am sure that he can handle this outdoor ed. I would volunteer when my daughter do outdoor ed.

Sleep away camp you *choose* and pay $$$ for is not the same as outdoor ed.

My sleep away camp loving kid did not care for outdoor ed. He was expecting a fun campy vibe and said it was just school but overnight.

So outdoor ed is not fun at all? How do they assign & group boys or girls in daytime and sleep by room? By class?

The programming itself sounds fine. It’s just not CAMP, and if a kid has in their mind that it’s going to be packed with energy and some freedom, they’re going to feel let down.

Idk how they actually do room assignments but ds was with kids he didn’t know very well, and not his friends. His trip was also very early in the school year when he hadn’t made many new friends beyond the old ES ones yet.

It is definitely random. No guarantee to have any kids you know in your cabin or group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:An ambulance was called for an assault this week at outdoor ed

What happened?

A fight is what I understood.

[Anonymous]

The organizers and outdoor ed staff will try to convince you that outdoor ed is the most memorable and best experience that every kid will ever have at MCPS. Not true! I'm wondering how much MCPS budget goes into outdoor ed? I read they almost cut the program several years back due to finances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The organizers and outdoor ed staff will try to convince you that outdoor ed is the most memorable and best experience that every kid will ever have at MCPS. Not true! I'm wondering how much MCPS budget goes into outdoor ed? I read they almost cut the program several years back due to finances.

Yep, overblown assessment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The organizers and outdoor ed staff will try to convince you that outdoor ed is the most memorable and best experience that every kid will ever have at MCPS. Not true! I'm wondering how much MCPS budget goes into outdoor ed? I read they almost cut the program several years back due to finances.

Agree. It was so talked up like it was a huge deal and so memorable. Is there really more educational value in it than a regular field trip or ongoing hands on learning can’t accomplish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The organizers and outdoor ed staff will try to convince you that outdoor ed is the most memorable and best experience that every kid will ever have at MCPS. Not true! I'm wondering how much MCPS budget goes into outdoor ed? I read they almost cut the program several years back due to finances.

Agree. It was so talked up like it was a huge deal and so memorable. Is there really more educational value in it than a regular field trip or ongoing hands on learning can’t accomplish?

Seriously. They should make it a 1 day daytime field trip and leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

As a sixth grade teacher, I’ve seen a lot of kids make new friendships at OE. It’s a chance for all the kids to be together in a different environment without their devices. I think it’s super valuable, but I would support getting rid of it if it meant smaller class sizes (which is how I measure the importance of anything in public school).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a sixth grade teacher, I’ve seen a lot of kids make new friendships at OE. It’s a chance for all the kids to be together in a different environment without their devices. I think it’s super valuable, but I would support getting rid of it if it meant smaller class sizes (which is how I measure the importance of anything in public school).

Amen for smaller class sizes!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a sixth grade teacher, I’ve seen a lot of kids make new friendships at OE. It’s a chance for all the kids to be together in a different environment without their devices. I think it’s super valuable, but I would support getting rid of it if it meant smaller class sizes (which is how I measure the importance of anything in public school).

What about the kids who are stuck in a group with kids who misbehave for 3 days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband would not chaperone. I don't mind to be a volunteer chaperone, but I have a son. I don't know if I could monitor and keep all boys under control. I am petite, and I don't have strong personalities and voice to overpower them if there are any conflicts. My son has done summer sleepaway camp since age 8, so I am sure that he can handle this outdoor ed. I would volunteer when my daughter do outdoor ed.

Sleep away camp you *choose* and pay $$$ for is not the same as outdoor ed.

My sleep away camp loving kid did not care for outdoor ed. He was expecting a fun campy vibe and said it was just school but overnight.

So outdoor ed is not fun at all? How do they assign & group boys or girls in daytime and sleep by room? By class?

The programming itself sounds fine. It’s just not CAMP, and if a kid has in their mind that it’s going to be packed with energy and some freedom, they’re going to feel let down.

Idk how they actually do room assignments but ds was with kids he didn’t know very well, and not his friends. His trip was also very early in the school year when he hadn’t made many new friends beyond the old ES ones yet.

It is definitely random. No guarantee to have any kids you know in your cabin or group.

Last year my kids teachers were pretty transparent that if the kid wanted switch to be in a group with a friend, their parent had to chaperone. They were also transparent that they did this because they needed chaperones. So if you kid is upset about their group and you can offer to go, you might have leverage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband would not chaperone. I don't mind to be a volunteer chaperone, but I have a son. I don't know if I could monitor and keep all boys under control. I am petite, and I don't have strong personalities and voice to overpower them if there are any conflicts. My son has done summer sleepaway camp since age 8, so I am sure that he can handle this outdoor ed. I would volunteer when my daughter do outdoor ed.

Sleep away camp you *choose* and pay $$$ for is not the same as outdoor ed.

My sleep away camp loving kid did not care for outdoor ed. He was expecting a fun campy vibe and said it was just school but overnight.

So outdoor ed is not fun at all? How do they assign & group boys or girls in daytime and sleep by room? By class?

The programming itself sounds fine. It’s just not CAMP, and if a kid has in their mind that it’s going to be packed with energy and some freedom, they’re going to feel let down.

Idk how they actually do room assignments but ds was with kids he didn’t know very well, and not his friends. His trip was also very early in the school year when he hadn’t made many new friends beyond the old ES ones yet.

It is definitely random. No guarantee to have any kids you know in your cabin or group.

Last year my kids teachers were pretty transparent that if the kid wanted switch to be in a group with a friend, their parent had to chaperone. They were also transparent that they did this because they needed chaperones. So if you kid is upset about their group and you can offer to go, you might have leverage.

I like this straight forward policy. I wonder if chaperone could pick a few friends of child to be in the group in that case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The organizers and outdoor ed staff will try to convince you that outdoor ed is the most memorable and best experience that every kid will ever have at MCPS. Not true! I'm wondering how much MCPS budget goes into outdoor ed? I read they almost cut the program several years back due to finances.

Agree. It was so talked up like it was a huge deal and so memorable. Is there really more educational value in it than a regular field trip or ongoing hands on learning can’t accomplish?

Seriously. They should make it a 1 day daytime field trip and leave it at that.

It may be the most memorable part of Middle School! Return year from pandemic they did extended day field trip and hit most of the highlights without so much of the bad food.