Sixth Grade Camp is Saved!

Ms. Stokes Saves Sixth Grade Camp, Despite Complex Pandemic Restrictions

We want to give a special thanks to Ms. Stoke, the Sixth Grade Camp superhero! Ms. Stoke went above and beyond to make sure the sixth-graders had a special sixth grade camp experience this year despite the pandemic restrictions. We had a chance to catch up with Ms. Stoke and ask her how and why she came up with all the fun activities for her students. Here is what she had to say.

DMP: How did you develop the idea to create an in-person sixth grade camp for your students?

Ms. Stoke: After researching all the virtual camp ideas, I found that nothing really jumped out at me. I really wanted to make this year’s sixth grade camp special for my students, and virtual camps didn’t appeal to me. I ended up finding a camp that was willing to tailor a whole program just for us.

DMP: Tell us more!

Ms. Stoke: The camp I found provided sleep away camps in another state. After speaking with Matt, it seemed like the perfect fit for the program I envisioned. We had a seasoned outdoorsman come help with the all-day hike and several outdoor activities here on campus.

DMP: Can you share with us some of the ideas you came up with?

Ms. Stoke: Sure, we went hiking, where we learned all about weathering, erosion, geology, rocks, and ecosystems in our local area, as well as discovering our local animals. We learned about animal adaptations and did team-building exercises. We also created nature art, learned camp songs, and participated in outdoor games like badminton, Kan Jam, and corn-hole.

DMP: It sounds so fun! The sixth-graders are lucky to have you as a teacher. What other fun activities did you do?

Ms. Stoke: We ended our reimagined sixth grade camp experience with a cookout eating hot dogs, hamburgers, and s’mores. We played a movie, and the students watched it on the field in sleeping bags. Did I mention the s’mores? At sixth grade camp, some of our students had never tasted a s’more nor been camping! I was happy to give them new experiences and an awesome week to remember.