Our Class Trip, by Sadie
During today's ceremony, our graduating 8th Graders each treated us to a special project they worked on just for this occasion. Please enjoy Sadie's story of the 6th, 7th and 8th Grades recent class trip (and the beautiful artwork she created to accompany it.)
Our class trip to Ohiopyle State Park was a wonderful experience full of adventure, fun and fright. While our class trip was a week-long event full of countless notable moments, I've decided to focus on the most memorable parts, the most adventurous, the funniest, and the scariest.
The most adventurous moment was our chilling swim beneath Cucumber Falls. When we first were told that we were allowed to swim, I was shocked. It was no warmer than 55 degrees and the water had to be ice cold. Instead of using our heads, we took a leap with our hearts and landed ourselves in the frigid, rock lined waters. After a few quivering steps, our bodies were already so numb that we decided it would make no difference if we submerged ourselves completely. I was the first to go under, but soon after, many of my classmates took the challenge and plunged into the icy water.
The funniest part of the trip had to be my Woodland Beauty Salon, which was visited by the multitude via my expert tactics of persuasion. Let me set the scene.... It all happened on a cloudy afternoon after a day filled with adventure. Most of us were having a grand time enjoying nature and exploring. However, Neel and Sophia were engaged in silly antics, the result of which had Sophia's face impaled with a prickly object of unknown origin, courtesy of Neel. After enduring a mild allergic reaction, for which Sophia took some expired Benadryl, she was still left with a strange splinter stuck in her face. After many of us tried, without success, to remove the pesky buggers, Mrs. English had the splendid idea to gather some clay from the surrounding paths to give her a facial to try to draw the splinters out. I ran out into the forest and gathered the necessary ingredients to create a mask. No sooner had I covered her face with clay, I noticed all of the poor boys who looked like they would love a facial. After a little convincing, I had half the class covered in thick brown clay...much to my delight.
White water rafting was definitely the scariest part of the trip. We arrived at the banks of the river covered head to toe in cumbersome gear, which would later prove to be crucial to our safety during our exhilarating trip down river. Almost as soon as we were seated in our large flotation device, we started flying down river at a rather alarming speed as our guide calmly told us that this would be the longest rapid that we'd be going on that day. At first, everything seemed to be going smoothly, until a loud shriek from the rear of the boat informed me that someone, or two people, had been thrown overboard. I turned just in time to see Grace's face as she tumbled out of the raft. I looked at the frothing water below to see a tangle of limbs and a flash of blond hair. With growing alarm I realized that the current was sweeping a rather terrified Mrs. English downstream. Soon after her falling into the frigid water, her Prince Charming, in the guise of a good-looking kayaker, helped her to safety, which was later rewarded with a chaste kiss (and a $20 bill!).
I am so grateful to Mrs. English and Mr. Haller who took their time to take us on this amazing class trip. Each day was filled with wonder and beauty and helped me appreciate nature and the outdoors (and my home and warm bed!). At the end, I was left with wonderful memories, which I will carry with me to high school and beyond.
