Foothills Blog

Spring trips are officially coming to a close, and from all the pictures, happy faces, and chatter, it looks like another successful year is on the books! As a parent, sometimes we don’t fully understand the experience of our children as they engage in the meticulously planned spring trips at Foothills. On a good day, we may get an “it was cool,” or “I had fun,” and even the jaws of life couldn’t help out more. It’s one of those “you had to be there,” kind of moments.

I was fortunate enough to be able to join the 5-6s trip to the Teton Science School in Kelly, Wyoming this year, and I can report wholeheartedly that these kiddos experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for hands-on learning and personal skill building. Experiential learning has always been a cornerstone of Foothills School, but to see it in action is something I will not soon forget.

The seven-hour bus ride demonstrated the ease of how students and teachers interacted and how well teachers knew every one of their students, giving just the right amount and flavor of attention. The nicknames, the jokes, the stories… it was a delight to witness. The rest of the week was a whirlwind of hands-on activities designed by Teton Science School, which had a very similar structure to Foothills in that the flexibility of the curriculum allowed for changes to accommodate the student groups’ interests. By the end, the three camp instructors were just as beloved as our own teachers, with special handshakes, team songs, and a bevy of inside jokes. Beyond the learning, relationships were forged, igniting new or deeper friendships with each other, and so much joy was expressed about each other’s accomplishments.

Witnessing the spark of understanding as we hiked through various terrains (ask a 5-6 student what ASCAR stands for, they’ll know!) was incredible, and the information was retained because they actually saw it, touched it, and deeply understood it. Using their guidebooks to identify trees, scat, and tracks and having confirmation of those finds built confidence in their abilities. After three days of learning and hiking, the culminating project really demonstrated their understanding of the scientific circle, showed their creativity, and fostered their teamwork. I have to say that my favorite part was during the questions, curiosities, and acknowledgments where each student found something they liked or learned about from each presentation, and each group was celebrated, because that’s what learning is at Foothills, a celebration.