Written by Mike Decker, English Language Learner teacher at Lonsdale Elementary, during their visit to Tremont in March, 2023. Cover image: Lonsdale students immediately made friends when they arrived at Tremont. Photo by John DiDiego.
For the vast majority of Lonsdale students, it is not an exaggeration to characterize the Tremont excursion as a life-altering experience. As an urban Title I school, the challenges faced by our students and their families often preclude Lonsdale kids from being able to experience sites analogous to Tremont outside of the school day.
Upon hearing that his younger sister would be attending Tremont this year, a former student of mine – now a junior in HS – reached out and asked me to take plenty of pictures for him. Not only did Tremont resonate with him six years later, but he expressed sincere regret that he had not brought a camera with him during his journey to the mountains.
We’re fewer than 4 hours into our 2023 Tremont trip, and I’ve already heard one student tell me this was a “life-changing experience.” (Granted, she was referring to the salad bar at lunch,) but the point remains the same – whether in the moment or years later, Tremont serves as a unique connection to nature that Lonsdale students rarely experience in any other setting.
