The highly anticipated sixth-grade Hawn State Park camping trip delivered an unforgettable yet different experience from past years. While an intimidating storm front cut their overnight adventure short to just a day trip, our students still made the most of their time, trading classrooms for the wilderness. This year’s trip was a testament to their adaptability and the Middle School’s L.E.A.D. theme, as they dove headfirst into fun activities and created cherished memories with new friends.
The annual trip is spearheaded by student committees handling communications, food, and activities. Betsy Branca ’31 and Ford Gorham ’31 were members of the communications committee. Betsy said, “We were in charge of preparing the packing list for everyone and sending emails to parents and students about the trip.” Ford added, “We also took photos of everything – the activities, people cooking food and swimming, students playing football and on the play structures, and taking photos of tie dye and other activities in the arts and crafts rotation.”
On the food front, Noor Dhindsa ’31 said the committee had to plan and organize all the meals. “I was on the dinner team, where we had to plan everything we needed in a Google Doc. We listed what we needed to buy and how much it cost. When it came time for dinner, we gathered sticks and [an adult] used a blowtorch to light them so we could cook chicken with a gas burner in the middle of the woods. It was pretty hard, but overall a good experience.”
All agreed that the activities were the most fun. Nyle Malik ’31 was on the activities team and said, “We formed different groups for different activity stations. Then we planned out games for the field. I was part of the evening activities. So we had to figure out what games were being played and what supplies we needed for the stations.” The students shared that thanks to Mr. Menneke and his trusty storage trailer, they loaded all the food and supplies for the activities so he could tow it to the campsite. “He drove behind our bus the whole way there,” said Betsy.
The day was not without its challenges, the most popular one being the slippery rocks at the “big creek.” Betsy said, “It was difficult at times navigating the creek due to the slippery rocks. You had to really watch what you were doing.” Noor added, “Since we weren’t staying overnight, we didn’t have tents where we could keep all our stuff, so when it came time to change into our water shoes, there were no benches, so our stuff was all over the ground.” Ford shared, The hike to the larger creek was long, and a few times the path would split into two, and we struggled to figure out which way to go.”
A major highlight of the trip was unanimous: the mini creek. It was the one spot where everyone could go fully underwater. “There were no rocks on the bottom, just sand. We played chicken, which was fun,” said Noor. Ford added, “The guys had their own individual chicken fights and played football Oklahoma drills, but in the water.”
The next morning, the day that should have been in the woods, sixth-grade faculty made sure the students didn’t miss out on an outdoor breakfast, just this time it was in the MS courtyard. Later, they roasted marshmallows for s’mores on the hill behind Olson.
Sixth-Grade Dean Mark Duvall said, “It was awesome seeing the many smiling faces playing in Pickle Creek with their classmates at Hawn State Park. Students had a great day and made the most of their time. All of the sixth-grade advisors and teachers were really proud of them.”
Despite the truncated event, the students formed a unique memory of their class’s sixth-grade trip.
“I’m really glad we got to go camping because I’ve been twice before and never enjoyed it as much as this time. I was with all my friends, and they made it very enjoyable,” said Noor.
Betsy said, “It was nice to hang out with the whole grade without fighting, we were all just having a lot of fun. The [75-minute] bus ride felt long but fun.”
“We split into different color groups marked by bandanas. There were people in my group I wasn’t as good friends with, and I became better friends with them by the end,” said Ford.
Thank you to our student committees and sixth-grade faculty for organizing and planning such a fun-filled, adventurous, and unforgettable tradition for the Class of 2031!