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Croton Middle-Schoolers Get An Outdoor Education

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. -- Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School seventh-graders headed to the Taconic Outdoor Education Center to take part in some exciting hands-on learning March 19-20. 

Croton-Harmon seventh-graders visited the Taconic Outdoor Education Center at Fahnestock State Park.

Croton-Harmon seventh-graders visited the Taconic Outdoor Education Center at Fahnestock State Park.

Photo Credit: Photos Courtesy of the Croton-Harmon Schools
Croton-Harmon seventh-graders visited the Taconic Outdoor Education Center at Fahnestock State Park.

Croton-Harmon seventh-graders visited the Taconic Outdoor Education Center at Fahnestock State Park.

Photo Credit: Photos Courtesy of the Croton-Harmon Schools

“Students took to the woods behind Fahnestock State Park to learn how sap collection has evolved over the last several hundred years,” said science teacher Noah Gallagher. “We visited the ‘sugar shack,’ where they purify and refine the sap as they carefully boil it down to syrup.” After the lesson, students participated in a blind taste test where they sampled store-bought pancake syrup and homemade pancake syrup. They voted unanimously in favor of the natural maple syrup.”

Students also had the chance to practice valuable teamwork skills in TOEC’s Project Adventure course.

“My students especially enjoyed the teambuilding games and activities because they had to work cooperatively on problem-solving strategies,” Gallagher said.

“They exercised accountability, interdependence and trust at every station they visited in an attempt to overcome the challenge. While success was never achieved on the first attempt, students ultimately succeeded at overcoming all of the obstacles through problem-solving and cooperation," Gallagher added.

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