Twice a year, for the past 20+ years, teachers have taken students camping to Highland Forest. These two days in the fall and spring are so important to building community. There is something magical that happens to groups of children when you provide them with the opportunity to play outdoors and engage with each other and their environment. Children make new friends and reconnect with old ones. While the goal of each outing is the same, the children and activities aren’t. Each year we add new experiences. This fall was no different. The children explored “the pond,” got stuck in the mud, built shelters, imagined rich narratives to connect with their creations, painted stones they found on the paths, listened to stories read aloud, played flashlight tag in their cabins, enjoyed a campfire before bedtime, made hot chocolate in the early hours of the morning, ate buttermilk pancakes, went in search of hidden treasures (via geocaching) and more. This outing would not be possible without the support of our parents who help in more ways than we can count. We return to school on Friday exhausted but happy. We are ready for a shower and a soft bed as we savor the memories of our trip.