Students a get glimpse of nature

Panther Valley Elementary School students took a trip to camp last week.

YMCA Camp Kresge, located near White Haven, hosted groups of students in second and third grades for half-day programs on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

On Friday, a group of third-grade students got to put on harnesses and helmets and take on a climbing wall. They also got to go on a nature hike where the camp staff helped them identify plant and animal species as well as their role in the ecosystem.

“What they’re learning in the classroom, they’re out here seeing it in real life,” said Kim Scarcella, a Panther Valley Elementary reading specialist.

The students went for a hike on some of the trails on the 1,100-acre camp, and carried bingo cards with insects, amphibians and other animals.

By the end of the hike, they had seen salamanders, toads and millipedes.

The students said the hike taught them that there is beauty in nature.

Third-grader Hailey Boger said she has spent a lot of time in the woods, but the hike taught her to be more observant.

“I learned that playing in the woods, you can find more things if you look,” she said.

The lesson gave students a firsthand look at things they have learned about in school. In school they recently learned about pollination and animals carrying seeds. At the camp, they learned about producers, consumers and decomposers, and how each is essential to the life of an ecosystem.

Students were excited to take a chance at the climbing wall. Camp staff first taught them about the climbing equipment, then coached them as they took on a 30-foot climbing wall.

Many of the students had never climbed before. Some had to overcome fear of heights in order to climb.

Vanessa Kokinda said she was nervous, but also enjoyed the climb.

“I’m afraid of heights but I also like being in the sky,” she said.

As students climbed the wall, their classmates waiting at the bottom would chant their names and encourage them to climb further.

Third-grade teacher Terri Williams said the climbing wall helped instill confidence in the students, which also aligns with lessons they are learning in school.

“We’re learning a lot about social and emotional health, and building their self-esteem and teamwork and character,” she said.

YMCA Camp Kresge offered the program to Panther Valley Elementary at no cost thanks to donations from the Mericle Foundation, and grants from companies around Northeast Pennsylvania. The school only had to provide the bus service for the students.

This is the second year that Panther Valley students have participated in the program. Their teachers said they couldn’t wait to return this year.

“Seeing the different opportunities they can get from a program like this really gives them something to look forward to,” Williams said.