Students Explore Nature at Camp Mt. View

Students Explore Nature at Camp Mt. View
Posted on 10/14/2022

     Educational enrichment in the midst of nature was the intent of a field trip to Camp Mt. View for a group of Mountain View School District students.  Camp Mt. View in Wrightwood is owned and operated by the District and is located 75 miles from El Monte at an elevation of 7,000 feet.  The special field trip was offered to the District’s GATE and high achieving students in fifth through eighth grade.

     Taking place on Parent/Teacher Conference Day, a student free day, the trip to Camp Mt. View provided a fun and enriching experience for the students.  Leading the field trip and chaperoning were Rabia Minhas, Director of GATE and STEAM, a few of the District’s Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs), and classified support staff.  The group was transported to Camp Mt. View by District vans where they explored nature, played games, created arts and crafts and hiked the mountain trails.

     “There are so many ways to inspire children, but nothing beats watching them learn in nature,” said Minhas.  “Children are naturally inquisitive and when you take that curiosity, harness it, and allow them to make observations, build hypotheses, make connections with their learning in a natural ecosystem where their classroom and learning come to life, it's pretty close to magical for a teacher.”

     For sixth grader, Destiny Vargas, seeing the trees and beautiful views was the highlight of the field trip.

     “There are so many trees and the views are really nice at Camp Mt. View.  It was a fun day hiking and seeing all the trees.  I’m glad we got to go on the field trip.”

     The field trip to Wrightwood brought a little nostalgia to Josh Marquez, substitute custodian and field trip chaperone, who enjoyed Camp Mt. View as a student in the District.

    “Going to Camp Mt. View as a student many years ago was a lot of fun,” said Marquez.  “It’s really great that the District has been able to continue to provide this opportunity for students to go to camp and experience the mountains and nature.   It’s definitely a great memory I have from my days in elementary school.”

     In addition to taking in the beauty of the mountains and the natural world around them, the group got to experience a variety of weather including sunshine, clouds and even hail.

     “Taking the kids on a field trip where they saw the topography change, the foliage change, and the weather change (we couldn't have planned it better), was a wonderful experience! The students who went on the field trip absorbed so much about the natural world around them, and specifically what conditions are needed for trees to thrive. It was wonderful watching them explore and engage with the natural world,” said Minhas.

     The best part for the educators/chaperones with the group was overhearing hearing comments by the students including, "Woah, I feel like I'm in the woods at Hogwarts" and "When are we coming back?" 

     MVSD looks forward to providing more educational enrichment opportunities for students throughout the school year and expanding its use of Camp Mt. View.

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