Our Lower Elementary students had the opportunity to visit a wildlife preserve on approximately 3,400 acres of land. Students hike through forests, jump through and wade in the rivers and explore caves. There are endless opportunities to push yourself beyond your comfort level and learn about the native species of the land.

We were welcomed by amazing staff who were both knowledgeable and caring. The students were split into groups and we had three days to take in this new adventure. As an adult, it was great to see how little children used grace and courtesy and found a new found trust in their friends. They bonded and enjoyed each other's company and created so many happy memories.

We all definitely look forward to going back in the future.

Our class recently went to Musgrove Mills and learned about the American Revolution. First, our tour guide took us on a hike and we discovered a few interesting facts about the Revolution (muskets are not very accurate guns.) After that, we settled down to eat lunch and talked about the clothing that people wore and things that people owned during the Revolutionary War. Then, our tour guide showed us how people living in the war made their fires, using flint and steel. Because it was his last day at work, our tour guide shot his musket three times which was everyone’s favorite part of the day. Our class really enjoyed the field trip to Musgrove Mills and we hope to go back someday.

Written by: Charisse Noble and Mary Cain Webster(5th Grade, Upper El)

The trip to Cortez, Colorado started at 4:00 am at the GSP airport. After saying goodbye to our parents and timidly traipsing through security, we boarded the plane at exactly 6:00. After our layover in Dallas, we arrived in Cortez, Colorado. We got our suitcases and hopped on a large bus (no seatbelts) for the two hour drive to the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. The view was amazing and finally, after waiting for a cow to meander from off of the middle of the road, we arrived. The cabins were spacious and comfortable, and the staff greeted us warmly. We had the rest of the day off, which gave us time to wander around, hike, and explore the camp. The next day, classes began. After a hearty breakfast, we met our educator, Mr. Paul, in the lodge. Our first lesson was on the tribes that inhabited Colorado and their time period, subsistence, tools, pottery types, and culture. With our brains packed with knowledge, we stumbled out of the lodge and attempted to make fire using a bow, a stick, a round rock, and a piece of wood. Needless to say, we failed miserably. Next, we learned how to make string, which was (thankfully) easy and entertaining. After nearly suffocating from smoke, we headed into a meadow to hurl atlatls at a fake turkey and were disappointed to learn that all of us have terrible aim.

Next day’s classes started at 9:00 sharp, and we headed into a lab to do a simulated dig. We learned how to document and identify the artifacts that we unearthed. By the end of the day, we could tell you the type of pottery sherds that we found (sherds, not shards), the time period they came from, and what type of container it was a part of. On Wednesday, we headed out into the field. It was freezing cold, and the wind was brutal, but it was incredible. We got to actually dig in a site and we found tons of flakes of stone, animal bones, pottery sherds and even some shells. Then, it started raining and hailing, so we had to head back to camp a little early. Our next day was a trip to a museum and Pueblo ruin, where the temperature dropped and it snowed, again. The ruins were incredible and breathtaking.

On our last day of classes, we headed out to Mesa Verde, about an hour’s drive from Crow Canyon. We hiked down some stairs on the side of a canyon, then climbed a 32 foot ladder (also on the side of a canyon), squeezed through a narrow passage and ended up in an amazing cliff dwelling, called the Balcony House. After taking about a thousand photos, we got down on our hands and knees and crawled through a tiny passage out of the ruins. After that, we climbed another ladder that was steeper but thankfully not longer, and then scrambled up some stairs carved into the sandstone. The view was amazing and slightly terrifying, since all that was between us and certain death was a crooked and flimsy-looking chain-link fence (Don’t worry. You have the option to stay on the bus). After visiting the ruins, we headed back in time for dinner. The next morning, we blew kisses to the marmots and headed to the tiny Durango airport. On the plane from Dallas to Greenville, we noticed that Tajh Boyd, a former Clemson quarterback, was on our plane. We arrived in Greenville and got pictures, autographs and handshakes and then went to meet our parents. After a slightly tearful reunion and suffocating hugs, we headed back home.

Written by: Sarah Landre, Madelyn Tomberlin and Rebecca Bennett (8th grade, Middle School)