No more books, classrooms or homework. Though the week will be full of hands-on activities, the memories that are made are unpredictable: this is the eighth grade Outdoor Education trip.

Located in Oakhurst, CA, junior high science teacher Terry Richards and history and Bible teacher Hallie Rojeski led the eighth grade class up to Calvin Crest, where they taught their own classes throughout the week, incorporating creative learning and class bonding, Sept. 17-21.

This year marks Rojeski’s 20th year of taking the eighth graders to Calvin Crest. With everything that occurs during the annual trip, she says that her favorite part includes the class friendships formed and the evening meetings.

“I think my favorite part is in two parts. One, the impact on the kids getting to know each other better and bonding as a class; you can’t beat that dynamic,” Rojeski said. “Two, the evening times together with the messages and the worship time is extremely important. I would also add that getting to know a high school student a little more is very good.”

Along with the fellowship that is created, Rojeski also appreciates the opportunity to teach the eighth graders in a different environment and with more visual guidance.

“It really emphasizes much more of a visual and hands-on kind of approach to education,” Rojeksi said. “They are not just hearing about it but they are actually experiencing it. They can see where the Miwoks {a nearby Indian Tribe} lived, they can learn how to build a fire and learn how to use a compass, rather than just talk about it.”

Students were separated into four different trail groups and throughout the week went on a variety of classes like the Miwok trail, Orienteering, Survival, “Rock Your World” and Giant Sequoia. Along with having their daily class groups, the students were put into different cabins with a high school cabin leader.

Seniors Jordan Boudreau, Jenna Orcutt, Maddie Yee, juniors Eric Cowin and Emily Shakeshaft and sophomore Jordan Castro acted as loco-parentis during the course of the week and assisted the Calvin Crest staff in going along with the classes.

“I really liked being a counselor this year because I got to hang out with all the eighth graders and got to know them individuallly,” Boudreau said. “It was awesome getting to mentor them, and my hope is to continue these relationships throughout the rest of the year and maybe even after school.”

During the evening, students were given time to sing entertaining songs, as well as worship songs, followed by one of the teachers sharing a message from the Bible. According to Nathaniel Adams, ’17, his favorite part about the trip was the night-time assemblies.

“I think my favorite part of Calvin Crest was on Wednesday after chapel when some of the guys from my cabin stayed and we just prayed together. It was awesome with the relationships that we made,” Adams said. “I got to tell them some stuff that I thought was really cool. I got to read some Scripture in Matthew, the Beatitudes, and we were all crying.”

In addition to growing closer to his classmates, Adams’ favorite day-time activity was Orienteering because it allowed the students more freedom.

“My favorite class trail was the Orienteering because it wasn’t really strict,” Adams said. “We were able to go and do it by ourselves and weren’t told what to do; they helped us but it was more of a fun trail.”

Throughout the week, students sat at an assigned table for all meals and cabin leaders switched tables each time, which allowed the junior highers to get to know their classmates and the high schoolers.

According to Sydney Belmont, ’17, her favorite part of the week was sitting with her table and going on the Miwok trail with Rojeski.

“My favorite part of the week was sitting with my table at breakfast, lunch and dinner because I got to know them and found out that they were really funny,” Belmont said. “My favorite trail was the Miwok trail because we got to squish acorns into a rock and because Mrs. Rojeski did a really good job leading the trail. It was very informational but at the same time a lot of fun.”

As the eighth graders returned to school, they have memories that will be remembered throughout the rest of junior high. Though they are back in the normal routine of classes, Adams hopes that his class with not forget everything that happened during their time at Calvin Crest.

“My hope coming back is that the guys who I was with after chapel that night remember what I said and that we remember as a class what happened at Calvin Crest,” Adams said.

For more information on Calvin Crest, read the Sept. 21, 2011 article, Annual Calvin Crest retreat educates eighth graders. For more features, read the Sept. 21 article, Varsity cheer continues tradition, holds clinic (VIDEO).