6th Grade Fall Term 2017

For this year’s Fall Term the 6th grade attended Sojourn Adventures, which is a high ropes course in Johns Creek, Georgia. This is the third year I have led this trip and was once again impressed by the conquering of fears and united team building activities. The day began with various team building activities where students were encouraged to work together to accomplish certain goals; at moments in complete silence. After a delicious Subway lunch, the groups moved on to one of three high ropes: Triple Zip Line, Lil’ Swing and the Rock Wall.

My favorite thing about this trip is seeing students accomplish goals they never thought possible. Luke Meier was very hesitant to do the high ropes activities because of a broken arm, which is understandable. I watched with beaming pride as he climbed the rope ladder to the triple zip line with such determination. When he reached the top he was clearly proud that his determination paid off. He confidently stepped out to do the zipline, letting his arms wave behind him in victory.

Megan Justice was another student who was hesitant to climb the zip line, but she did it anyway! She had the support of her friends to spur her on to, “Take one more step!” and with that support she reached the top. She climbed back down, but we were all so proud that she conquered her fear of heights. She even mentioned going back for her birthday to try again.

Another thing I love seeing on this trip is servant leadership. After the students had been dismissed from lunch, Elizabeth Turnbough returned to wipe all of the tables down. She had not been asked and did not seek acknowledgment of this service, but simply did what she thought needed doing.

There are many more stories I could tell about this day, stories of students encouraging one another, stories of students conquering fears, stories of student working together to accomplish goals, stories of students seeking the best interest of others. All of these things are a reminder of why we go to Sojourn Adventures every year. What an adventure indeed!

MaryBeth Lawler

 

5th Grade Fall Term 2017

There was excitement in the air as the fifth graders boarded the buses to go to the Atlanta Zoo. They were excited to spend a fun day with friends. And what a fun day we all had together! The students enjoyed seeing all the interesting animals and some of the students even fed a giraffe! They also had tons of fun in the KidZone and enjoyed tasty treats at lunch. After observing a variety of animals big and small, many students bought a cute stuffed animal to take home as a memory of a special day together. All the students will remember this as a special part of their fifth grade experience!

 

Savannah Fall Term – Thursday – 11.2.17

After a we had breakfast at the hotel, we started the morning at the First African Baptist Church in Savannah.  The church representative told us that the church was established in 1777 and is known today as the 2nd oldest African American Church in North America. The founding members were slaves that gave their life savings to buy the church property. They worked at night for four years to add brick to all sides of the church. The founding members knew the Lord would use this church in mighty ways. The sanctuary contains the original light fixtures, baptismal pool, and pipe organ that date back to 1832. The representative from the church explained to our group that the church served as a Underground Railroad safe house. We learned that the church has remained active since the doors opened in the late 1700’s. Three of our students had an amazing opportunity to play the 1912 Stein piano that is in the sanctuary of the church. The piano is one of only four in the world. The First African American Baptist Church is a vital part of Savannah history and plays an integral role in the life of the city today.

We had lunch on a riverboat cruise and enjoyed the views from the boat. After the cruise, we spent more time exploring River Street.

After a full day in Savannah, we went back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner.  We enjoyed a delicious meal at the Paula Dean’s Lady and Sons restaurant. We had fried chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, banana pudding and the list goes on and on.

The night ended with a devotion from Mr. Spivey focused on being willing to pay the price for the things God has for us.  

The entire group was ready for lights out and excited for day three.

Savannah Fall Term – Wednesday – 11.1.17

An early start to day one of our trip consisted of talking, laughter, and a couple of movies. Our bus ride was lots of fun because our drivers interacted with everyone. Also, we were excited to discuss the different sights we would see in Savannah.

Our first stop was beautiful Forsyth Park. We walked passed the historic Forsyth foundation to get to an open green area where we had a catered Subway lunch. The kids enjoyed hanging out in the green area, playing catch, and running around to burn off lots of energy.

After we spent time at Forsyth Park, we headed to River Street. We had time to browse the shops along the river. Savannah t-shirts were a big hit with all the girls while the boys could not wait to get ice cream. The River Street Sweets shop was the store the kids made sure to visit before we boarded the buses. The kids were excited with the wide variety of candy at the shop. We enjoyed dinner at Golden Corral.

To end the day, Mrs. McMullan led the group devotional scavenger hunt. Each group member worked together to locate a specific scripture from a set of clues and worked together to explain its meaning to a teacher or chaperone.

We are excited to see what day 2 holds for us.