This month, our students ranged far and wide to explore science, history, culture, and more, with destinations including the Cary Institute, Kirk Planetarium, and Kingston Bread + Bar.
Our field education program has kicked into high gear this spring, with many of our classes exploring the world beyond our campus! For 2024/25, we've budgeted to expand trips across the year, especially in our Middle School, and we're particularly looking forward to launching an overnight 7th and 8th grade retreat at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge this fall!
8th Grade
The most anticipated field trip of the month was our graduating 8th graders' three-night visit to Washington, DC. One meaningful stop was the United States Holocaust Museum, as the class recently explored the causes and impacts of the Holocaust. Learning about justifications for war was a central component of this year's study, providing important context for students to appreciate the monuments and memorials they visited.
"After two years covering American history and civics, it was incredible to see the 8th graders tour the White House and Capitol Building and explore our nation's capital," says humanities teacher, Clay Drinko, who organized the trip alongside math teacher, Jazmine Langlitz.
This year, the group also focused on the fun of exploring a new city, taking a Secret Door Tour, hanging out on a dock by the Potomac, and visiting the International Spy Museum.
3rd Grade
Our 3rd graders took two trips this month, to the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY and to Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz. At the Cary Institute, they explored life cycles and relationships in the ecosystem. They hiked, caught critters in the stream, and used two types of nets to catch insects in the grasses and in the air.
Historic Huguenot Street offered an opportunity to bring the class's study of Native American culture to life. The group made corn husk dolls, played traditional games, and toured a replica of an Esopus Wigwam constructed of plant materials gathered in the area using original building techniques.
2nd Grade
2nd grade visited the Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville, NY, which is a camp, retreat destination, and environmental education center all in one. Students spent the day exploring raptors at the "retirement home" for birds of prey, and geology and water conservation at the river across a picturesque cable bridge. After a demonstration of how little of the earth’s water is potable and a conversation about pollutants, students worked in groups to purify water samples using moss, bark, leaves, and rocks.
4th Grade
4th grade spent a morning at the production bakery of Kingston Bread + Bar, where KB+B founder and HMS parent, Aaron Quint, shared the fascinating art and science of bread-making. Students learned the function of the sheeter, water meter, mixers, refrigerator/proofer, stone hearth bread ovens, and rotating pasty oven, along with many other tools of the trade. They practiced handling and shaping dough, resulting in a batch of their own sandwich rolls. There were also samples of buckwheat loaf, pizza, and chocolate chip cookies - bet you're sorry you missed it!
Nursery 3s
Finally, the Nuthatch class ventured to New Paltz to visit the John R. Kirk Planetarium after several weeks learning about space and spaceships, a topic of shared interest that emerged organically from the class. Highlights of the trip included blasting off to the moon and learning about constellations.
