Mountain Climb teaches many lessons

There is no better place than the hills and mountains of New Hampshire in the fall for children to explore and test their limits. Sant Bani School students did just that when they climbed Mount Major last week on what turned out to be a stunningly beautiful day. Kindergartners through twelfth graders strapped on their backpacks and hiked to the top of this small but rewarding mountain. The views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains were an amazing finale as nearly two hundred people – students, faculty, and parents – wound their way up the trails of Mount Major near West Alton to its summit.

Sant Bani School has been holding these yearly Mountain Climbs for thirty-five years, since the school’s inception, and they have become a tradition that students look forward to each year. The lessons the students learn on this day are a valuable part of their education. Sant Bani models the need to treat the environment with care and uses the “carry in, carry out” policy whenever any student group is hiking. Two hundred hikers can have an impact on any trail. Sant Bani teachers take seriously the importance of educating the students on how best to have the least impact on trails and fragile soils as they hike. Teaching the students of today how to be caring stewards of the earth will leave tomorrow’s students with a well cared for trail system and help maintain the beauty that surrounds all of New Hampshire. Mountain Climb organizer and Sant Bani science teacher, Robert Schongalla, commented, “Students who have the opportunity to spend time out in nature can learn to appreciate it, and that can translate to a lifelong respect for nature and an enriching involvement in the out-of-doors.”

Halfway There

As five year olds through sixty-somethings boarded the busses for their return trip to Sanbornton everyone agreed that a day of outdoor education was a day very well spent!

Sant Bani School is an independent kindergarten through twelfth grade day school located in Sanbornton, NH. It was founded in 1973 with six students and has grown to over 170. No child is denied admission for financial reasons. For information call (603) 934-4240 or visit the school’s website at www.santbani.org