By Cheyenne Ingraffia, Callison Sixth Grade Teacher
The 6th-grade students from Jean Callison Elementary School had an amazing opportunity to attend outdoor school at Camp Sempervirens from October 16th- 20th, 2023. This was the first time in many years our 6th-grade classes have had the opportunity to attend an outdoor school. The program we participated in is facilitated by Exploring New Horizons, which has been welcoming students onto its many campuses for nearly 40 years. This program is led by outstanding educators dedicated to getting scholars out in nature to experience a week of hands-on learning. 
Last year, when I started working at Callison, I spoke to Mrs. Reed, our former principal, about starting this program for our students. As the Outdoor School program coordinator at my previous school, I am passionate about giving our students this incredible opportunity. After numerous emails to the staff at Exploring New Horizons and obtaining school board approval, I began the extensive planning required to turn this dream into a reality.
With hopes of starting a new tradition, we set out to take our 6th-grade students to this outdoor school campus led by the Exploring New Horizon staff. We had 44 students, 13 high school cabin leaders, and two teachers attend. What a fantastic week it was! Students spent time exploring habitats at the beach, watching monarch butterflies, hiking in the redwoods, adventuring through a creek, taking night hikes, participating in a mock town hall meeting, dancing the night away at Barnyard Boogie Night, organizing and performing a skit, and so much more. There was a focus on positive attitudes, cooperation, taking a chance, and teamwork. 
Some students were quoted:
- "It’s a fun experience. You get to do things without a phone. I forgot I even had a phone.”
- “I can’t wait to be in high school because I will return as a cabin leader.”
- “I never want to forget my cabin mates and cabin leaders.”
When asked why students should attend outdoor school, students responded:
- “It’s a fun experience that you can only do once.”
- “It’s a good time to talk to new people. If you’re an introvert like me, just have fun and at least try something new and take a chance.”
- “You get new friends and experiences.”
- “They should go to camp because it teaches kids what it means to take care of the world.”I encourage you to go to camp, even if you hate the outdoors. Get away from the world for a minute.”
- “A 6th Grader should come to outdoor school because it can make them find out who they really are. They express the inner parts of themselves. It makes them have a memorable time in their life and it’s one that they will never forget. They will overcome fright, and they find faith in themselves, even if they don’t believe in themself.”
We plan to continue this tradition! We plan to take the 6th-grade class of 2024-2025 to Camp Semperviren next year. The dates are set, and we will attend from October 14th to October 18th, 2024.
If you are interested in helping make this trip a reality, please contact Mrs. Ingraffia ([email protected]) or the Jean Callison Elementary School office (707-453-6250).
We have already begun the fundraising process and would greatly appreciate any donations for this trip.
We look forward to continuing this tradition for our Callison Cougar Cubs! Here's to many more outdoor school adventures!