On a windy and rainy morning last weekend, 9 Middle School students rendezvoused at Kincaid Park for the first Outdoor Club outing of the school year.  My husband always says, “You pick your day, and then you go.” Well, we had picked the day, but the weather wasn’t really what we had had in mind. Nonetheless, everyone showed up, some more prepared than others, ready for the adventure and to have a good time with friends.  Apparently, these kids subscribe to my husband’s mantra as well. Weather must be a mental state.

Middle School is a time of tremendous social growth. PNA’s Outdoor Club is designed to promote this growth in a healthy way by maintaining the cohesion between students and even deepening their ties.  Amazingly, it all comes back to play for the better in the classroom. This supportive network of friends provide a security for students to try new things whether it be athletic, social, or academic.

Off we went, down that first long hill, in the wind and rain.  Cold, wet fingers made it hard to grip the handlebars so we dropped the bikes and sprinted down to the beach and back to warm up.  From then on, the weather was just an afterthought.

Being a social event, we made plenty of stops along the way.  Most stops involved food, which is always a plus for Middle Schoolers.  By the time we arrived at our destination (Westchester Lagoon), the sun had come out, and everyone could have kept on riding!

I’m glad we picked that day.  I was able to see that these Middle Schoolers are made of the right stuff.  Their mental state is sunshine!

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