The Merrowvista Experience for Fifth Graders

In May of their fifth grade year, boys and their advisors spend three days at Camp Merrowvista in the Ossipee Mountains of New Hampshire, applying the interpersonal skills they have learned at Fenn and learning to stretch themselves in a safe and supportive environment. Whether they are scrambling up the climbing wall or building a raft from wood and rope at the waterfront, they are working on cooperation and communication. Fenn’s school nurse accompanies the group, and there is a health center on site.

The Merrowvista staff at the accredited camp has worked closely with Fenn for twelve years to develop a program tailored to fit the School’s needs. Trained camp staff members guide the boys, who live in cabins with adults, through group projects and problem solving exercises that are geared toward developing self-esteem. Fenn is the only group at the site at that time, and the boys receive the undivided attention of the staff. Gathering in the lodge for healthy meals, they enjoy organized activities, including challenging others to sing silly songs, and they participate in efforts to eat with sustainability in mind. After each meal, the campers weigh their ORTs, or Our Remaining Tidbits, by table, and compare the results with their peers.

The highlight of the experience is a campfire held on the last night, at which one boy from each advisor group speaks about one of Fenn’s core values—honesty, respect, empathy, and courage. A ceremony follows during which each participant receives a paper star on which his individual strengths and the contributions he has brought to the fifth grade that year—comments provided by his advisor group—are inscribed.