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A Week Away & the Power of Classroom Communities
Years ago, I used to start every school year with a novel study of E. L. Konigsburg’s classic children’s novel From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The book tells the story of a brother and sister who, despite their differences and arguments, decide they will run away together to the Metropolitan Museum of New York. The big idea of the book is that the point of going on a journey or adventure is to return changed. We would read this story as a preparation for a week-long residential trip together. We wanted the children to head away from the comfort of their normal lives, face challenges together as a group (to learn more about themselves and about their classmates) and return to school transformed into a team.
As E. L. Konigsburg put it:
“What happened was: they became a team...There had been times before they [went] away when they acted like a team, but those were very different from feeling like a team. Becoming a team didn't mean the end of their arguments. But it did mean that the arguments became a part of the adventure, became discussions not threats. To an outsider the arguments would appear to be the same because feeling like part of a team is something that happens invisibly. You might call it caring.”
A healthy and productive classroom is one in which the students not only get along with or simply tolerate each other, but in which they are able to encourage and learn from one another. In other words: a caring classroom. To enable and nurture such relationships, teachers plan a range of activities to develop them within the classroom. Indeed, it’s an essential part of each lesson, across grades and subject areas. Throughout the year (in class, at recess, during lunch and more) students are given regular opportunities to bond together and develop positive working and social relationships. This is also a central characteristic of field trips that all of our students take in the Preschool and the Elementary School, where they share common experiences outside the four walls of the classroom.
I know the power of such experiences from my own childhood. Some of my most vivid memories are of school trips to places like Yosemite National Park and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park in California. In those settings, I discovered more about the natural world, my place within it, and my place amongst my classmates. Just as importantly, I discovered more about myself. Those weeks outdoors were not only about exploring rivers, forests, and historic sites; they were about exploring identity, courage, and connection. The lessons learned there have stayed with me long after the details of the activities faded.
This past week, the Grade 5 students have been away at Nethybridge, an outdoor educational centre near Aviemore. Prior to the trip, each Grade 5 child was asked to consider the strengths and needs of their community and was tasked with setting personal goals to achieve during the trip. Each day, the goals were reviewed individually during a reflective journal session, and collectively during an evening circle time known as “Congratulations”. During these gatherings, children congratulated one another for their resilience, their independence, their kindness and their ability to get the best out of others.
This structure directly reflects the IB Primary Years Programme’s emphasis on reflection, self-management, and the Learner Profile attributes. Students were encouraged to be inquirers and thinkers as they explored new challenges, caring and principled as they supported one another, risk takers and open minded as they tried unfamiliar activities, and reflective as they considered both personal and group growth. In this way, the residential experience was not an “add-on,” but an authentic extension of the Grade 5 curriculum and PYP learning in action.
As a participant, it was uplifting and heartwarming to observe the Grade 5 students complimenting each other for individual achievements and offering each other gestures of support and goodwill. A culture of cooperation and encouragement was firmly established over the course of the week of activities, and it is something that the group members will carry back with them to sustain their efforts for the remainder of the school year. Indeed, these experiences will pay dividends for years to come. They will return changed; no longer just classmates, but a team.
Current educational research strongly supports this approach: residential and outdoor learning experiences have been shown to improve social skills, deepen peer relationships, foster independence and even enhance academic engagement. For children in the upper elementary school grades in particular, time outdoors in residential settings is linked to greater confidence, resilience and a lasting sense of community. Our week at Nethybridge gave students opportunities to experience all of these benefits — in ways that a classroom setting alone cannot replicate.
Some memorable quotes from the Grade 5 students this week:
“The biggest thing that I learned is that boys don’t have to just be friends with boys, and girls don’t just have to be friends with girls. Everyone can be friends with everybody. It was like that in my group.”
“Back at school, I didn’t really know _____. She’s really funny and smart and kind. I really got to know her at Nethybridge and I know we’ll be friends now at ISA!”
“You guys didn’t tell us how good the food was going to be!”
“The most important thing I learned this week was at the Silver Maze. We learned that listening to our teammates is as important as saying our ideas. When you give yourself the chance to listen to your teammates, you might actually solve a challenge.”
"I honestly didn't think I would be able to get as high as I did on the Jacob's Ladder. It makes me wonder what else I can do..."
"I’m not someone who find it easy to have fun, but this was fun the whole time through. Literally everything was fun. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Zip Wire.”
"A week like this is great because you actually have to do teamwork - not just talk about it."
"Can we come again next week?"
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