Школа Rutland провела традиционный «День озера» с активностями на свежем воздухе для 265 учеников

Rutland Middle School took over the Pittsford Recreation Area on Friday for a day of sports, creativity and community building. The school’s staff and some 265 students visited the area for their annual “Lake Day,” which gives kids a chance to connect in a relaxed setting. “We started this because we really wanted a way to set the tone for the school year that was positive and engaging. We love the outdoors,” RMS Principal Meaghan Marsh said. RMS Director of Student Engagement Abby Bennett said the day’s activities include hiking, fishing, board games, lawn games, wiffleball, basketball, pickleball, crafts and much more. Students choose two activities for the day — one in the morning and one in the afternoon — with a school-wide, administrator-led barbecue between them. “The barbecue is my favorite because I love being able to serve kids food that we made. We’re all eating together. That environment they get to see (is special),” Marsh said. Over near the stream, science teacher Brian Crane helped students place worms on hooks and set up fly rods for conventional and fly fishing. Crane said that while the water was low, students were having a blast and had caught and released two fish by 11 a.m. “I’m teaching them about river and stream ecology — where it is flowing, where it is not flowing, where the fish are living and trying to incorporate as much science as I can,” Crane said. Eighth-grader Tala Creel said she signed up for fishing because she wanted to try something new. “(Lake Day) lets us get outside, get some sun and actually do some stuff besides paper and pencil,” Creel said. Seventh-grader Minerva Choiniere-Carney sat painting mushrooms on the green near the hiking trail on Friday morning. “Older kids need time, especially when you’re moving to a different grade, (to relax),” Choiniere-Carney said. “Kids need time to adapt and time outside. A lot of the time they’re trapped inside and don’t really do anything. And then at home, they don’t get outside a lot because they’re on electronics.” Choiniere-Carney said it’s important to remember how fun it is to be outside, adding that painting helps capture these memories. Staff members said Lake Day is not only a way for students to get out of the classroom, but that it also helps build teacher-student relationships. “One of our goals is attendance. We want strong relationships with teachers. We want kids to want to come to school. Taking a break from classes for these kinds of experiences does pay dividends in the classroom later on,” Crane said. Bennett said that as far as attendance goes, few students were absent on Friday. “At RMS, we really work on helping kids find a trusted adult (in the building). This is a great way to kick that off because they’re not necessarily with their advisor or their classroom teacher,” she said. “It’s a great way for kids to get to know other adults in the building.” Marsh added that the school hopes opportunities to build community and belonging help keep attendance high. One student who greeted Marsh upon her arrival pointed at a hickory leaf she had painted on her face, adding that it was meant to represent RMS’ Hickory House — a learning community within the school. “That’s that house pride coming through,” Marsh said. sophia.buckley-clement @rutlandherald.com