Welcome to College Settlement!
The sun was shining brightly for the second day of 5th grade IL! We met on the bus pad this morning and said goodbye to our families as we embarked on our journey to College Settlement in Horsham, PA.
When we arrived at camp, the camp counselors greeted us and told us a bit about the camp. It was founded by Quakers at the start of the 20th century! After a quick orientation, we moved into our cabins. We set up our bunks and unpacked our bags, making the big rooms look just like home.
After lunch in the dining hall, we split up into our advisory groups for Group Challenges. These fun challenges were set up along a trail in the woods. In order to complete them, we had to all work together to plan strategies. It was not easy, and we all failed a few times before we succeeded! People who are adventurous will love College Settlement, but even if you need help we learned that you can still feel successful if you just ask! One of the highlights for Valentina was conquering the 10-foot wall! Working together, her whole advisory was able to scale the wall!
When Group Challenges were over, we had choices of activities. Some of us were excited to go fishing. Ethan’s fishing group learned that you shouldn’t touch salamanders with your skin because human skin can harm them. Although nobody caught anything, some of us felt nibbles! The other group went rock-climbing. Using harnesses, our brave 5th grade climbers scaled a 30-foot climbing wall.
When we finished up our choice activities, it was time for dinner! Table 1 helped set up the dining hall and announced our menu for the night: spaghetti, garlic bread, and chocolate chip cookies! After having our delicious meal, our camp leaders taught us about food waste and we were encouraged to use mindfulness when filling our plates.
One of the highlights of the whole day happened after the sun went down. We gathered together for a night hike on the camp trails. As the sky grew dark, we quietly made our way down the paths, listening for frog, bird, and animal calls. Scarlett noted that this was her favorite part of the day because she was able to use her flashlight and experience the wilderness after dark. We crossed creeks and hiked down winding trails in the glow of our flashlights. We gathered again in the Dining Hall for a nighttime snack and some journaling. We are all looking forward to another full, busy, and exciting day at camp tomorrow.