Milton Middle School Outdoor Club

Click here for photos from a recent meeting of the Middles School Outdoor Club

"I had never really thought of myself as an outdoor kind of guy, or ever thought that I would go rock climbing every week," reflects Tyler Hayes, an eighth grade participant in the new Middle School Outdoor Club. Tyler and 10 other Middle School students were the first group to join this new activity. "Whether we went rock climbing in the gym or hiking in the Blue Hills, I enjoyed every minute."

For an hour and half every Monday since September, a high-energy group of Middle School students and experienced mentors from the Upper School have met to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for the outdoors and outdoor activities. The Middle School Outdoor program is just one of many new activities available to students. Middle School Principal Mark Stanek, a firm believer in outdoor education, put his full support behind the creation of an Outdoor Club. With the assistance of Matt Bingham, director of the H. Adams Carter Outdoor Program at Milton, English teacher and Outdoor Program staff member Kim Walker recruited five upper school mentors to coach and encourage the middle school participants in the inaugural session of the Outdoor Club.

These five exceptional leaders are the key to the success of the program. Dermott McHugh (II), Tom Myers (I), Beatriz Mogollon (I), Hunter Stone (I), and Abby Wright (I) generously shared their time, their expertise, and their passion for the outdoors with the younger students. Whether they were instructing kids on how to tie figure eight knots for rock climbing, or helping them learn the basics of tree identification on the Skyline trail in the Blue Hills, these mentors demonstrated outstanding instincts and skills as teachers. Peer education is often the most effective way to learn, and the middle school students eagerly absorbed any lesson they could learn from their older mentors.

Tiz Mogollon, a senior from Bogota, Columbia, was one volunteer mentor who found working with her middle school charges empowering. "I was amazed at the amount of energy one has at their age. The Class V and VI students were incredibly motivated and ready to go, they followed directions well, and they were a good group of kids. For me, it was a fun activity and a nice break in the day to hang out with energetic people. It is great to teach other students how to do things they have not yet mastered."

Abby Wright, another senior and co-head of the Upper School Outdoor Club also enjoyed “seeing how rapidly the students improved.” As one of the students who has participated in four years of rock climbing, Abby was particularly pleased to teach the next generation of climbers. “I hope that they will continue Milton’s legacy of good sportsmanship and good fun in the outdoors.”
From September to January, the curriculum covered a myriad of topics in outdoor safety and technical skills. Students learned to read their own Blue Hills map, dress and pack appropriately for a day hike, travel as an inclusive group, and identify five different kinds of trees. In the rock climbing gym, students learned basic climbing techniques, the structure and purpose of various gear, how to tie three types of knots, how to boulder, how to rappel, and practiced a routine safety check for both the climber and the belayer. Additionally, students learned to belay a climber, though only upper school students and Ms. Walker actually belayed middle school students. Most of the participants were new to both climbing and hiking, but their novice status did not hold them back. Class VI student, Mary Caroline Palmer, remembers her anxiety about the new skills she would learn in the Outdoor Club. “When I first joined the Outdoor Club, I had never rock climbed before, and was nervous. All of the leaders were really nice, and helped me become more comfortable rock climbing. After climbing a few times, I think I got better, and by the end I could climb on the harder rock wall.”

Upper School mentors took turns instructing the club members, and worked with different groups of kids every week. Lessons often catered to their area of expertise; Hunter Stone and Dermott McHugh led a lesson on tree identification that was age appropriate, fun and informative. For Dermott, a graduate of the Middle School, working with the Middle School students was a chance for him to give back. “I loved working with the students on climbing safety and technique. They always proved to be good learners and persevering climbers. I myself was constantly envious of the Upper School Outdoor Program when I was in the Middle School. Now the middle school students can get a taste of the Outdoor Program early.”

Class V participant David Samuelson enjoyed learning the technical skills, like belaying, while getting the chance to exercise and play the outdoors. “I was thankful for the enthusiastic support and highly trained leaders and mentors.” The bonding between Upper and Middle School students was one of the highlights of the first session.

At the start of second semester, a new group of students will begin the curriculum with the same team of mentors. With continued flexibility in the middle school schedule, and the great success of the first group, the Middle School Outdoor Club has a bright future. As one Class V participant states "I would recommend the Outdoor Club to anybody who likes to have fun and learn at the same time."