A Week Away & the Power of Classroom Communities
Early in my teaching career, I used to start the school year having the children in Grade 5 read E. L. Konigsburg’s classic children’s novel, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The story follows a brother and sister who, despite their frequent squabbles, decide to run away together and take up residence in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. At its heart, the book carries a profound truth: that the true point of going on a journey or adventure is to return transformed. We would read it with our students as preparation for the week-long residential trip, encouraging them to step away from the comforts of routine, face shared challenges in an outdoor setting, and return home transformed into a united team.
As E. L. Konigsburg so beautifully expressed 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.”
Sustaining a caring classroom
A healthy, flourishing classroom is one where students do far more than simply coexist or tolerate one another. It is a space where children genuinely care for, encourage, and learn from each other. Building this kind of community takes time and demands that children experience challenges together. Throughout the year (during collaborative classroom inquiries, at recess, or over lunch) our teachers intentionally craft opportunities for students to build strong, positive social bonds. Field trips (and especially week-long residential trips such as the Nethy Bridge trip) amplify this work immeasurably, taking learning beyond the four walls of the classroom and anchoring it in shared human experiences.
I know the lifelong power of these outdoor journeys from my own childhood. Some of my most vivid school memories are from residential trips to places like Yosemite National Park and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park in California. Out among the trees and trails, I learned about the natural world; but, more importantly, I learned about my place within a community and discovered who I was as an individual. Those weeks outdoors were about exploring rivers and forests, yes, but they were equally about exploring identity, courage, and connection. These are the lessons that have stayed with me long after the specific details of the itinerary faded.
PYP learning in action: the Nethy Bridge experience
This past week, our Grade 5 students lived this experience firsthand during their residential trip to Nethy Bridge. Before departing, each student reflected on the unique strengths and needs of their group and established personal goals for the week. During the trip, the children revisited those goals individually in reflective journals and collectively during an evening circle time known as “Congratulations.” In these gatherings, children publicly celebrated one another for acts of resilience, independence, kindness, and leadership.
This structure is a direct expression of the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) in action:
- Thinkers & Inquirers: Students navigated new physical environments and solved real-time problems.
- Risk Takers: Students stepped out of their comfort zones to attempt unfamiliar, demanding outdoor activities.
- Caring & Principled: The children looked out for one another's safety and well-being, offering encouragement when the going got tough.
- Reflective Learners (Self-Management ATL): Through daily journaling and evening circles, they continually evaluated both personal progress and group dynamics.
Residential learning is never an "add-on" to our curriculum; it is PYP learning at its most authentic and impactful.
Returning transformed
Current educational research strongly reinforces what we witness on these trips: residential outdoor learning significantly enhances social-emotional development, deepens peer relationships, fosters self-reliance, and boosts academic engagement. For upper elementary students in particular, learning in nature builds a lasting sense of belonging and agency that classroom instruction alone cannot replicate.
Observing our Grade 5s throughout the week (cheering each other on, offering helping hands, and celebrating shared triumphs) was deeply inspiring. The culture of mutual support and cooperation established at Nethy Bridge is a treasury they will draw from for the rest of this school year and beyond.
When asked what made the week at Nethy Bridge so positive and memorable, Avigail and Sophie talked about how much they loved having the chance to make new friendships and to really get to know everyone in Grade 5. The way that people communicated and looked after each other during the trip was something they hadn’t experienced before. They also cherished the time spent being active outdoors. Amyra mentioned that she would never forget getting to the top of the Jacob’s Ladder challenge. Not because of a sense of personal triumph, but rather because she accomplished this feat alongside a classmate who she is still just getting to know better. The joy and meaning came from making it to the top together, as members of a team. It is these memories that the children will carry back with them to Aberdeen, to ISA and the Grade 5 classrooms.
They will return to ISA changed: no longer just classmates sharing a corridor, but a true, caring team.
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