Many attend adventure challenge

Last week, children had the chance to see what they were made of at the adventure challenge.

This was just one of the many summer classes the Sweetwater Board of Cooperative Educational Services offered.

During this weeklong class, students participated in numerous activities, including karate, archery, snorkeling and bike riding.

“It’s a good thing for kids to get exposed to,” Scott Gaffey, the adventure class leader and Monroe Intermediate School teacher, said.

This program gives children the opportunity to try things they may not have tried in the past. Some of them might pursue a new hobby or activity because of participating in the class.

This was Gaffey’s first year running the program, but his fifth year participating in it. The adventure class is geared toward students in fourth through eighth grade. “It’s been a really good time with the kids,” Gaffey said.

“It’s fun to see new ideas some to fruition.”

On Thursday the students were completing a long bike ride from Monroe Intermediate School to the Sweetwater County Fishing Pond out past Jamestown.

“It’s called adventure challenge for a reason,” Gaffey said.

As with any class, challenges arise for those teaching and assisting with it. For example, in the past some of the kids attending the class had never ridden a bike before. Gaffey said they also have kids who have ridden bikes, but never a bike that required them to switch gears.

Another challenge when riding bikes in a group of 30 or more is making sure the kids watch out for each other. They have to pay attention and slow down and brake quickly at times.

“Obviously, the kids who are bike fanatics are in the front of the pack,” he said.

When the group made it to the fishing pond, they took a break to eat lunch, fish and then it was time to make the return trip back to MIS. Gaffey said on both trips the group utilized as much of the Greenbelt as possible to keep the kids off of the streets. As if the kids weren’t busy enough last week, they also found time to visit the splash park, library and make tie-dye T-shirts.

“We kind of keep a tight schedule and keep them moving,” Gaffey said.