Mrs. Armstrong Will Travel to Switzerland

Calvert School offers its faculty travel opportunities in the form of a grant program, money of which is donated by the Garrett family. These Garrett Grants have an application process and a curriculum piece, and this fall I proposed a trip to Switzerland. The idea for this trip stemmed from a faculty-required reading book a few summers ago.

In this book, the author, Leonard Sax, addresses what he assesses as the five factors leading to unmotivated boys in today's society. In Chapter 1, Sax speaks of changes in schooling. He references how today's kindergarten experience is similar to the first grade of thirty years ago. In reaction to this, Sax highlights a special type of school, called an outdoor school, where during the the early years of their development, children will spend an entire year (or more, depending on the program) learning and experiencing life outdoors. This environment allows their senses to develop in a greater capacity (there's no time for television, video games, or computer simulated toys). The children use their imaginations to their fullest by incorporating nature and natural items into their everyday play. Outdoor schools are very popular in Europe, and are quickly catching on in the United States. In fact, an outdoor school called Cedarsong Nature School in Washington state has received a lot of recent media attention (click here to watch a news video). Their program is very similar to those in Europe.

The idea of visiting such a school seemed not only exciting but worthwhile. After all, I do not often utilize the experience of nature in a profound way in my 6th Age curriculum.

After the application process was complete, I received the exciting news that I would be traveling to Zurich over my spring break! In preparation for this trip, I contacted and will be visiting The Lakeside School, situated on the east bank of Lake Zurich. This school, along with many others, has an on-site trailor available for extreme weather days. When I spoke to a teacher from the school about what to bring, she simply stated, "WARM CLOTHES!"

In addition to visiting The Lakeside School, I will also get a chance to see the zoo and the Masoala rainforest exhibit! And of course, a Switzerland adventure would be incomplete without a chocolate tasting and skiing in the Alps!

I hope to document my trip daily when I am abroad, with videos and important information. Stay tuned!