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St. Mary's 5th Graders Enjoy Nature with Camping Trip

The 5th grade students from St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point recently took an overnight trip to Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana. The trip was organized by 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Heather Williams. The students participated in their Foundations For Success program, which focuses on the 5 pillars of: self-confidence, communication, leadership, trust, and problem solving. The students were placed into groups and were tasked with applying these pillars to nature related activities. Some of these activities included: building a campfire, shelter building, reading a map while navigating the nature trails, and working together to achieve many other challenging tasks.

At the culmination of the activities, students were asked to journal how they could incorporate these five pillars into their daily schooling and lives. Two fifth graders, Madison Kozlowski and Elisha Nagdeman said, “We learned how to apply the 5 pillars taught at camp to help make us more successful in the classroom.” Overall, all the students worked together to successfully complete their tasks and create lasting memories. “I learned the importance of trusting my classmates on the obstacle course and that I can carry these pillars with me as I go along in life, “said student Brinna Bordui.

Nick Johansson, Caleb Weber, Diego Perez, Bradley Januszewski

Bella Padilla, Danica Carlotto, Christina Macocha


St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point offers grade levels Junior Pre-Kindergarten (for three-year-olds) through eight. Mary’s faculty teaches a rich curriculum supported by cutting-edge technology. The school offers a multitude of activities and experiences including fun and educational field trips at each grade level including trips to Chicago, Indianapolis, and an 8th grade trip to Washington DC. To learn more about St. Mary’s School or schedule a tour, visit school.stmarycp.org.


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