Fifth-Grade Mini Camp has been a mainstay of Middle School culture at MICDS for more than two decades. This departure from the curriculum offers a day of memories, games, laughter, and learning as students connect with one another and explore the entire MICDS campus. This year’s Mini Camp featured five unique activities, including a campus scavenger hunt led by our Upper School exchange students visiting from Argentina.
Scavenger Hunt
The day kicked off with a scavenger hunt where students opened clue after clue, solving the riddle at each station, whether it was a word puzzle or something else entirely that required a group-think environment. Fifth Grade Math Teacher Kristina Jones said, “This year, we were fortunate to host the exchange students from Argentina for part of our day. They paired up and joined us for our campus-wide scavenger hunt as leaders for our eight fifth-grade teams. The clues were written in a mixture of English and Spanish, so everyone really needed to work together to figure out where to look next.”
Middle School English Teacher Beth Garcia agreed, “The scavenger hunt was made extra special this year with the addition of the Argentinian exchange students. Afterwards, the students created a team name and team cheer to perform for the group.”
Games ON Your Feet
Susie McGaughey, Lower & Middle School Counselor, and Debra Mein, Middle School Arts Teacher, led students in fun group-focused theater games. With their combined acting backgrounds, McGaughey and Mein were eager to collaborate and make the activities a success.
Spirit Wear Bracelet-Making
Fifth graders enjoyed designing and creating Homecoming-themed beaded bracelets to wear throughout Spirit Week and the upcoming Homecoming celebrations. Garcia developed the activity as an engaging way for students to express their creativity through a hands-on experience and to promote their school spirit and Ram pride. She said, “It was fun watching students design and assemble their beaded bracelets to wear this week to showcase their love for MICDS! Each bracelet was unique, just like each student, but they all clearly showcased the fifth graders’ Ram Pride, something we all have in common.”
Oregon Trail
Ring, ring, the 80s and 90s called! Our old friend, the Oregon Trail game, made its way into Mini Camp. Middle School Science Teacher Leslie Smart led this activity for the fifth graders, who approached this game with less familiarity but more advanced technology skills. Despite its simplicity, they embarked quickly on a virtual journey along the Oregon Trail. Even the most experienced gamers among them discovered that the game, despite its vintage status, offered a unique and engaging experience. It taught students valuable lessons in resource management, decision-making, and problem-solving, along with a healthy dose of history.
Spirit Magnets
For the spirit magnet activity, Jones approached Middle School History Teacher & Makerspace Coordinator Blake Whitney for ideas on something the fifth graders could create, build, or decorate in 30 minutes or less. He laser-cut wooden circles and ram heads for the students to decorate and glue together to create a magnet for their lockers, allowing their creativity to shine through. Whitney said, “Anytime we can get the students using some of the amazing tools in the makerspace and creating a hands-on project, I think it is a winning situation. Homecoming presents the opportunity to combine school spirit with these tools. The magnets were a great way for kids to gain hands-on experience while also showing their school spirit. Go Rams!”
Outside of the Mini Camp activities, fifth-graders enjoyed lunch, art, and PE class. Jones said, “The fifth-grade team building activities will be leaned on throughout the year as we use these groups for many different activities and competitions all year long. It was a lot of fun, and the fifth graders really enjoyed the experience.”
Congrats, Class of 2033, on a festive and rewarding Mini-Camp 2025 experience!