On June 10, Boothbay Region Elementary School students went on a field trip to the Boothbay region. Kindergarten through grade eight students spent the day exploring local nature attractions and the downtown business district. The community day was devised by school staff searching for a way to better introduce students to the local surroundings.

This is the first year for what school staff dubbed “BRES Celebrates Community.” School staff spent a couple 90-minute brainstorming sessions discussing the day filled with field trips visiting local attractions. Staff organized a collection of opportunities for outdoor learning and establishing stronger community connections. The planning resulted in grades 3, 4 and 5 visiting Boothbay Region Land Trust’s Oak Point Farm in Boothbay Harbor. Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 visited Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens with sixth graders acting as group leaders and guides. Seventh and eighth graders headed into Boothbay Harbor’s business district and Ovens Mouth Preserve during separate morning and afternoon sessions. 

“The day’s purpose is making students better aware of the community and making a strong connection to it,” Assistant Principal Tricia Campbell said. “Our goals are to have students learn, through experiences, all about the resources in the Boothbay region and apply the learning they have done all year in their classrooms. This is a special community and today we celebrate that!”

As BRES staff began planning the day, it reminded Campbell of a similar celebration during her days as a Colby-Sawyer College student in New Hampshire. Each fall, students celebrated “Mountain Day.” Colby-Sawyer students took a day off from classes to climb off Mount Kearsarge. 

Pre-kindergarten students went for a hike at nearby Penny Lake. The day included a barbecue with live music from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on campus between experiences. The day also included an art project with teacher Jessica Nadeau. The art will be displayed in Boothbay Harbor during Windjammer Days.