Katherine McDonald, Virginia Webb and Kennedy Martin get ready to climb the rock wall.
When you are a fifth grader at Mountain Brook Elementary, the entire year is spent in anticipation of the Alpine Adventure — a week each spring where roughly 80 students travel to Mentone for learning while living in cabins at Camp Alpine. MBE takes the classroom outdoors, and for many, the experience is a favorite from years spent at the elementary school.
After writing an essay, 20 parent chaperones are chosen to accompany the four classroom teachers: Bill Andrews, Suzanne Andrews, Loretta Rowan and Tammy Tolleson. The two physical education teachers, Matt Cain and Cherry Thomas, also supervise the children.
I asked Truc Brouillette, mother of fifth grader Jessica, to help me understand the adventure from a “mom” perspective. Here is her synopsis:
Monday consisted of trekking following a map and compass. During the wilderness trek, we identified wildflowers the students researched prior to the trip.
Tuesday was hiking the local state park to a little waterfall. The kids repeled down seven feet or so to explore a cave in the rocks.
On Wednesday, we hiked a canyon to a spectacular waterfall and then went on a wild cave expedition. When we finished, we were covered in mud and should have earned a shirt that said, “I survived Raccoon Cave.”
Thursday was stream ecology. Because it had rained the afternoon and evening before, the temperature dropped down to the mid-30s in the morning. The kids took the pH and temperature of the water. They inspected rocks and found mayfly, dragonfly nymph, clams, snails and a leech. The climb back was like climbing The Great Wall of China. Then after lunch, there was the rope course, V swing, climbing wall and zipline.
Thursday night was the dance. It was amazing to see children who may have started the week introverted break free from their cocoon and show moves on the dance floor!
