Form III Boys Take Trip to Pine Forest Camp
On October 15, Form III boys boarded a coach bus for a trip to Pine Forest Camp, as is tradition for their grade. The annual trip, designed to give the newest Upper School boys an opportunity to enjoy each other's company during two days of a variety of activities, was led by Upper School Head James Reynolds, along with Brett Wisniewski from the classics department and Michael Cohn from the P.E. department.
Mr. Reynolds reports: When the group arrived at Pine Forest Camp in Greeley, Pa., they were met by facilitators from the Mountain Workshop, who would be leading the various team-building exercises. The first day at camp, the boys rotated through activities such as canoeing on the camp's lake and high- and low-rope challenges, which included the ever popular zip line. With a bit of free time before dinner, the boys organized games of pick-up football and basketball. After dinner, an indoor activity followed, and when night settled, the group headed to the far corner of the athletic fields to gather around a bonfire and to roast s'mores. After the marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers were consumed, the boys spread out on the field to lie down and take in the beautiful starlit sky, a great opportunity for city boys to enjoy the terrestrial canopy. The boys returned to the fireside for conversation and some thoughtful reflection.
On day two, the boys were up early to pack, load up the bus and grab a hearty breakfast before heading to the shore of the Delaware River for the rafting part of the trip. Once wetsuits had been pulled on, the boys, guides and faculty loaded into six rafts to make the six-mile journey down the relatively gentle Delaware River. Thankfully, the day was beautiful and the activity of paddling warmed all. We stopped for lunch along the way before reaching our final destination in Matamoras, Pa., where, after pulling the rafts ashore and shedding the wetsuits, the boys and faculty gathered in small groups with the Mountain Workshop team to debrief before boarding the bus to head back to NYC.
