April 8, 2025

It’s almost time for one of the favorite weeks of the year for Ross Middle School’s sixth-graders.

April 14th through the 17th is camp week, a chance for students not only to apply science and other lessons recently learned in class, but also an opportunity to spend four days and three nights away from home in a fun setting at the sprawling Foothill Horizons outdoor education camp in Tuolumne County.

This year, 114 Ross students will attend camp, accompanied by some of their teachers.

Through the years, the much-anticipated field trip has been something of a rite of passage for sixth-graders from many regional school districts. Ross Principal Mary La Rosa said her students are eager to explore the same trails, hills and creeks at the 143-acre facility that many of their older siblings – and, in some cases, even their parents – experienced years before. La Rosa herself said she still has a wooden necklace with her name on it each student receives from her own trip 45 years ago.

“I have fond memories of my high school counselor and naturalist,” La Rosa said. “I loved the night hike and learning about the Mi-Wuk Indians.”

The lessons cover ecology, geology, and plants and animals native to the foothills. The real-life adventure will piggy-back on what the students have been learning recently.

For instance, students have been compiling their “bird book,” which is essentially a field guide to species native to foothills.

“They use the website www.allaboutbirds.org to gather information about 12 species of birds found in the Sonora area,” said science teacher Adrianna Rodrigues. “Of all the wildlife students see at the outdoor school, they see birds the most. They are excited when they see one of the birds at camp and are able to name it.”

Ross students also have been watching videos about stars and the various constellations in the sky to prepare for the night hike. Older students in teacher Melinda King’s WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) class will share their own experiences with the sixth-graders in Sergio Vera’s science class on Friday to help prepare them.

Campers also already are beginning to keep a journal of their thoughts and what they’ve learned, which they will update while at camp and finish when they return home.

The goal every year, according to the Foothill Horizons website, is to provide “an interactive outdoor science experience, a collaborative learning environment and personal growth opportunities through individual challenges” to develop “respectful global citizens dedicated to stewardship in their communities and beyond.”

Most of the students and their families pay for them to attend camp. For those unable to do so, La Rosa thanked the Ross Parent Teacher Club, the Hughson Lions Club, Hughson businesses and community members for raising money to sponsor students.

The Ross staff members serving as chaperones this week are Rodrigues, Vera, Josh Montgomery, Jessica Leonard and Felicia White. La Rosa and Vice Principal Kevin Smith will visit camp for one day.