RIPTON — The students and staff of Ripton Elementary School — including 44 students in grades pre-K through sixth — on Monday, Sept. 30, took a field trip to Middlebury College.
The day started on the athletic fields, where the Ripton students got to play with men and women from the lacrosse teams, softball team and women’s ice hockey team. Students learned to handle sticks, catch, throw, run and dodge in four different stations around the facilities.
After a picnic lunch on the patio of the Mahaney Center for the Arts, student toured the solar house, Reliance, which resides on campus and even houses some members of the Solar Decathlon team. The house exemplifies efficiency, has been built to use only sustainable energy sources, and was made of recycled and/or salvaged materials.
In the afternoon, the students were able to tour the college gardens and hear stories, harvest and taste veggies, and follow a scavenger hunt for the five things all living beings need to survive.
The Ripton teachers say they are grateful to the college for the opportunities for learning and exploration, and to the college students and staff who made the day possible.