Many BRVGS students spent time away from the books this past summer, enjoying "hands on" adventures in a variety of places. Highlights for BRVGS students include Zach Heidel's weeklong trip down the James River. Here's what Zach had to say about the trip: "I recently attended an expedition on the James River. It was a weeklong trip that consisted of canoeing and camping each day. In its entirety, we went about 85 miles on the river. Each night and occasionally while canoeing, we learned about the importance and challenges of conservation. We were able to experience the beauty of the James River while learning about the organisms that live in it and depend on it. Additionally, we learned about the river’s history, even spending one day on a bateau, a large wooden boat once used to transport goods up and down the river. We were able to meet new people, camp for a week, and develop teamwork skills. Overall, it was a fantastic experience that I would recommend to others."
In a different adventure, BRVGS students Abena Appiah-Ofori, Layla Morris and Toby Craig spent a week exploring history at James Madison's Montpelier. The students spent time in the field and in the archaeology lab, helping to find, clean and catalogue materials from the area just outside of Madison's home. As Abena reports, "The interns, supervisors and dierectors were all super friendly and willing to answer any questions we had. I found tons of cool artifacts and learned neat details about archaeology that I never thought about. My favorite part was speaking with the interns throughout the week about applying to college, their university experience and how they discovered that archeology was the career path they wanted to go into."
BRVGS is happy to be able to help our students to have experiences like these. Students and parents should keep an eye on BRVGS emails and website throughout the school year for opportunities for next summer, or they can inquire with BRVGS Director Marc Carraway at mcarraway@brvgs.k12.va.us for questions regarding possible summer activities.
BRVGS class of 2017 students Celia Hines and Samantha Grace Hopkins presented this past Friday at the James Madison University's General Education Conference. The conference is described on the JMU website as "...designed to recognize the exceptional academic learning experiences our undergraduates have in their general education courses. To participate, a student must be nominated by his or her professor and must have produced outstanding work, whether in the form of an oral presentation, a written essay, a research project, or similar assignment."
