Latin School of Chicago

L AT I N S C H O O L O F C H I C AG O E X P E R I E N T I A L L E A R N I N G Lower School The transition from lower school to middle school can be intimidating for students. Luckily, 4@45 is back, which orients fourth graders with a three-day visit to 45 W. North Boulevard. Students have the opportunity to meet the fifth grade teachers, have their classes in the middle school classrooms, be paired with a fifth grade buddy, and probably most exciting, move into their new lockers. The fourth grade students are allowed the independence to walk the halls without a teacher. "It's really exciting for them," said Amanda Schirmacher, fourth grade teacher. "These are pieces of responsibility that the kids just love." Fourth graders also resumed their one-day trip to Starved Rock State Park in Ogelsby, IL. Students go on hikes, play behind the waterfall at St. Louis Canyon and explore the caves. The trip is tied closely to the science and Illinois history curriculum, and is designed to develop team-building and problem-solving skills. On this trip, students often tell stories from moments throughout the year. "This is the fourth grade capstone day when they can reflect on their lower school experience together," said Schirmacher. Middle School Eighth graders also resumed their weeklong trip to Washington, D.C. Highlights of that trip include visits to Smithsonian museums, the National Archives, Arlington Cemetery, the White House and various memorials. Besides being connected to the eighth grade history curriculum, the trip is a culmination of the middle school experience, according to Bobby Oommen, a middle school computer science teacher. "It's a chance for them to be independent, away from their parents for five days," said Oommen. "The ability for kids to see these things in real life, experience them and have real-life conversations about them goes to the core of what we're trying to do at Latin," said Oommen. Students Return to Experiencing the World Around Them After a several year hiatus, experiential learning outside of the classroom is back at Latin and it's hard to tell who is more excited, the teachers or the students. 1 2

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