Well, it's been a Spring to remember and now we are arriving at a long-awaited Summer. Kids and families are excited to get back together, and The Mountain School Team is prepared to share some great adventure days and experiential learning.
We are very full! That feels great, but we are also expecting a learning curve around some new methods of travel and group work.
Instead of the daily bus trips we enjoyed last Summer, we will be learning to safely ride our bikes in groups. Monday will start with brief, specific instruction on how to prepare for rides, common mistakes, and habits we intend to build so we can move down the trails and bike paths with ease. We will, of course, be assessing the ability-levels of our younger riders and building them up slowly to ensure comfort.
We also have some exciting Rafting dates scheduled with Defiance Rafting Company on June 18 and June 24. The Colorado River is pumping through Glenwood Canyon, so we are excited about fast floats that take us from Grizzly Creek and Shoshone to Two Rivers in Glenwood!
Please check out the Defiance Rafting Company website at https://www.raftdefiance.com/
Their "Raft Like a Local" focus really hits home!
To build on these "immersion experiences" Andrew Hays and I are planning a series of lessons around Riparian Ecosystem and River studies. We are happy to share that we have the beautiful Fly Fishing Kits from the Roaring Fork Conservancy. I became Certified as a National Fly Fishing Teacher years ago, and this status gives us access to a dozen Orvis Fly Rods, targets, and lessons that will work together in concert to help our students become ambassadors of our Watershed.
There is more to share, and a lot more in the works, but long-time Teachers know there should always be room to grow into things at a reasonable pace. And, importantly, there is room for students to "Lead their own Learning."
This will be one of the most epic transitions our kids have experienced. We plan to honor that as we ease out of the long quiet and into the bright light of the Colorado Summer.
Can't wait!!
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