The Importance of School Trips - Paul Bertolotto, Elementary Assistant Principal

Nethy Bridge - The importance of school trips

On Tuesday (26th September) our Grade 5 children will arrive in school bright and early in order to vacate the school for an inspirational four day residential experience to Nethy Bridge, near Aviemore.

The setting of Nethy Bridge has sentimental family significance mostly for my wife, who recalls numerous childhood summer trips with her parents, and now for our own family as we regularly visit the area with our children, Stefano and Sofia. 

Arguably just as sentimental are my feelings for the children attending this trip.  A wonderful group of children that I had the privilege of teaching in Grade 4 last year.

It is with this mix of sentiment and a deep appreciation for the value that such a residential experience can offer our children that I reflect upon the reasons behind ensuring that the children of ISA continue to gain from such impactful experiences.

Practical Learning: 

The Grade 5 children will have the powerful opportunity to place much of their class based learning and dialogue into genuinely inspirational practical application. I especially enjoy witnessing how expertly the Grade 5 teachers then utilise these experiences, in the weeks following the trip, as stimuli for ‘exploding the moment’ in the children’s writing: 

‘I heard a splash. I plunged in the freezing lake water. A few seconds after I was soaked in silence. I tasted the icy water filling my mouth. Gripped with fear, I shut my eyelids and only saw the darkness. When I floated back up I felt the cold air on my skin. I dragged myself out of the water with my last piece of strength.’ (Grade 5 pupil, last year’s cohort)

Or for meaningful reflections upon ‘their own successes and challenges’:

‘My goal is to take risks in new areas. I did this well by jumping in the water after the canoeing session. Even though I don’t like getting wet. I did this again by ziplining because when I’m in the air my stomach feels hollow and I don’t like the feeling. That’s how I achieved my goal at Nethy Bridge. I will keep working to achieve my goal in grade five.’ (Grade 5 pupil, last year’s cohort).

It is from such context-rich and meaningful learning experiences that we continue to build and strengthen relations with children and families and demonstrate clearly our commitment to respect, excellence, diversity, community, integrity and service.

Moving out of our comfort zone:

Experiences such as the zipline or canoeing in the freezing cold lake waters will take your child out of their comfort zone, an experience which is essential for personal growth and the development of an appetite for trying new things. Our Grade 5 pupils from last year may be happy to hear that our residential trip to Nethy Bridge enables our pupils to ‘enjoy’ experiences that simply cannot be replicated in a more conventional classroom environment (no matter how cold it is).

This year’s Nethy Bridge cohort will hopefully still reflect positively upon our most recent Grade 4 trips to Edinburgh (where ‘Bertolotto’s travels’ played a key role) and our sailing trip to Peterhead, where I can confirm that the water is barely still in liquid form, and appreciate not only how well these experiences may have prepared them for Nethy Bridge but also how much their own teachers were faced with the challenge of moving out of their own comfort (aka warm) zone.  I know that Mr Brace, Ms Thompson, Mrs McCracken and Mr Kajiwara are all looking very much forward to challenging themselves and to modelling a level of perseverance and resilience to children that will inspire them to ‘take risks in new areas’.

It was with great pleasure that I attended the recent parents’ information session on the trip, within which I was able to listen to staff share their passion and positivity.  From their dialogue it really did strike me as to how much social and emotional growth the children will gain from this experience.  The staff talked about how, for some, this may be their first time away from home and how significant the experience of coping with this, of looking to friends and familiar adults for support and the sense of eventual success in this new setting can be for each child’s levels of resilience and future growth.

Being without technology, and not contacting parents at the first opportunity, is all about being self-sufficient, independent and resilient. Working out emotions, dealing with differences of opinion, being part of a new group and even trying different types of foods are all rich valuable learning opportunities from which children will be able to meaningfully reflect upon when they face similar challenges in the future.

Next week’s school trip to Nethy Bridge is therefore so much more than a break from our normal routine; rather it is an essential component of our commitment to ensuring every opportunity for every child. 

Nethy Bridge will offer the children of Grade 5 an avenue to engage with their learning in a tangible and memorable way, fostering practical knowledge, social skills, cultural awareness, and a deeper connection to the world around them. By embracing and supporting such wonderful learning opportunities you, as parents, contribute significantly to your child's overall growth and development, laying the foundation for a lifelong love of learning and exploration.

Bon Voyage Grade 5, I look forward to hearing all about your adventures upon your return.