AFTON – Swinging across a chasm on a Tarzan-like vine, walking a tight rope and crossing a swinging bridge strung high in the treetops sound like feats for adventurers and stunt men. Yet it was sixth, seventh and eighth graders, not professionals, who faced these challenges last week as Afton students took to the ropes course during Middle School retreats.
The school’s 134 middle school students kicked off the new school year by participating in a retreat program coordinated by Guidance Counselor Deborah Samuel.
“Our emphasis for this year is team building, friendship and trust,” said Samuel. According to the middle school counselor, the end goal of the program was to encourage a positive school climate. Each grade level had its own day-long outdoor retreat.
The morning session started with students being assigned “initiatives,” where they were challenged to solve a problem as a team. According to Samuel, these activities were designed to get the children listening, planning and positively supporting one another. They would need these skills when they progressed to higher ground (and higher altitudes), where Samuel said it was important to have the students’ undivided attention.
By mid-morning, students moved to the low ropes course where they planned and strategized in order to meet the unique challenges posed by different “elements.” Each of these activities stretched the students both mentally and physically; working together was the only way to be successful.
In small groups they tackled a cable tightrope called the Mohawk Walk, swung across a gulch in the Nitro Crossing and learned to lean on one another in the Partner Triangle.
“This isn’t just an adrenaline rush out here,” said Ron Rapp, Afton’s Dean of Students. “We try to relate it to everyday life.” To accomplish this Rapp and Samuel “debriefed” students after each activity. Together they helped students find real life applications for the lessons learned on the ropes.
After the Partner Triangle exercise, for example, Samuel said they discussed different situations when the students might need to lean on others and who students could trust to support them.
They also talked about the difference between negative and positive risk. “This is a positive risk they are taking, but the physical signs of dealing with risk are the same,” said Rapp. He helped students identify these signs, like sweaty palms and an increased heart rate, which are the body’s red flags. Rapp said these same flags are raised when students deal with peer pressures related to drinking and smoking.
After an outdoor lunch, students became more familiar with these signs of risk as they moved to the upper-level ropes course. There they utilized three elements situated high in the trees: The Rickety Bridge, the Two-line Bridge and the Multi-Vine.
Teachers and instructors on the ground saw a different side of students than they normally do, many even noticing a difference in attitude between the morning and afternoon sessions. “They are very attentive to direction,” said Samuel.
The purpose of these activities was not to force students to try something they are afraid of, but rather “challenge by choice,” said Samuel. “We want the kids to know it is OK to challenge themselves as far as they can.”
Some students wanted to be first in line, but many hung back to observe before queuing up for one of the elements. Those who still weren’t convinced, stuck to the ground where they participated by showing support for their classmates or helping belay.
There were no taunts and jeers from the ground only words of encouragement as one by one the middle schoolers stepped outside of their comfort zones and, literally, out on a limb.
When one seventh grader got a little shaky on the Two-line Bridge, her classmates below turned their full attention and support in her direction. Shouts of “You’re doing great!” and “You’ve got this!” filled the air along with claps and whistles as the entire seventh grade became her cheering squad.
“These are skills they could not build in the classroom,” said Middle School science teacher MacKenzie Jump.
All levels of achievement were rewarded. “I’m so proud of you that you tried,” Jump told one boy who conquered his fear of heights enough to make it part of the way across the Two-line Bridge.
Also supporting the middle school students from the ground were a group of high school students hand-picked by Rapp as peer leaders. The program is as an opportunity for these students “to get a chance to really test their leadership skills,” said Jump.
The older students were trained to belay, or control the feed of rope to the students, but their role was much larger than just that.
Junior Shane Schneidau was one of the students selected as a peer leader. For him, participating in the program has been rewarding. While the eleventh grader said he enjoyed watching the younger students have fun, he recognized the seriousness of his role as well. “It’s basically holding someone’s life in your hands,” said Schneidau.
“They have a lot of responsibility,” said Rapp. “They are great kids. It wouldn’t be possible without them.” According to the dean, being a positive role model for the younger students is an empowering experience for the high schoolers.
“We are building community members and developing positive relationships between older and younger kids,” said Rapp. The hope, of course, is that the participants will carry the lessons learned during the retreat with them throughout the year.
The culmination of the week’s events was an activity day on Friday. Students from all three grade levels had lunch together and were rewarded with their very own Afton Crimson Knight T-shirts.
“This is a wonderful program for the kids,” said Superintendent Elizabeth Briggs. “It is a great way for us to build teams within the school.”