Seventh Grade students restarted one of the Middle School's annual traditions this week: the Middle School Class Trip. The Class of 2028 left early Wednesday morning to journey to Camp Bear Track, a residential camp in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas on Greers Ferry Lake, for a few days of bonding and team building.
While class trips have long been a tradition in Lausanne's Middle School, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the school to cancel all of its trips since Spring 2020. This school year, experiences like these are returning, allowing students to focus on forming and strengthening friendships with their classmates while away from campus. It also gives them the chance to get out of their comfort zone.
One of the first adjustments for the students: no electronics were allowed. This included cell phones and computers, two methods of communication that students have become increasingly reliant on for communication during the pandemic.
"We want students to unplug and enjoy time with their classmates during this team-building trip," explains Catherine Hammons, Lausanne's 7th Grade Individuals and Societies teacher. "This trip gives students time to unplug and just focus on building relationships with each other."
Hammons, along with her fellow faculty members, organized the excursion. During the trip, students rely on collaboration, communication and persistence while completing team-building exercises and participating in House Olympics to score points for their Middle School House.
"Our trips are a great opportunity for the students to have fun and work on life skills, including being more independent from home," said John Donecker, Lausanne's Head of Middle School. "The activities during these trips are designed to help our students build problem-solving and collaboration skills to help their continued success in our classrooms.”
This is just the first trip for our Middle School students this year. The 
Class of 2029 will make the same journey to Camp Bear Track after fall break. Later in October, the 8th Grade heads to Victory Ranch in Bolivar, Tennessee. Our 5th Graders will also take a trip to Victory Ranch in the spring.
You can see more trip pictures by visiting Lausanne's Facebook site, or see all 400 pictures in their Google photos album.