Activity Week 2006

Barb: The highlight of the week for Grades 1 & 2 was visiting the nearby community of Dhobi Ghat, where the laundrymen wash the clothes for most of the town. Trying our hands at scrubbing, beating and rinsing our clothes in cold spring water made us appreciate the hard work people do on our behalf. This was a particular revelation for some of the more privileged of my students whose servants take care of all household chores.

Jeff: I repeated last year’s trip to New Delhi. We visited historical sites, and marveled at the hustle and bustle in this capital city of the largest democracy on earth! The highlight was our private tour of the President’s Residence Rashtrapati Bhavan. We visited two real-world businesses run by Woodstock graduates. We also attended a lecture at Delhi University, and a book-launch of a historical work about the British East India Company. We stayed at the headquarters of the Church of North India, that has guest rooms for visiting clergy and school groups. We enjoyed some religious education – directly comparing muslim, sikh, baha’i, hindu, roman catholic, and protestant houses of worship. Students asked pointed questions about the differences between catholicism and protestantism, and about my own beliefs.

Chris: I joined nine other high schoolers and two teachers on an 80+Km hike through the Himalayas to Dayara Bhugyal, rolling meadows right in front of one of the tallest mountain ranges in India, the Banderpunch Range. We then took a day hike up to the top of one of the nearest peaks. A snowstorm was coming fast so we quickly took our pictures at the summit of the highest peak in the range, at around 14,000 feet. My Activity Week was a great experience, full of challenges and fun.

Coleman: The seventh grade went to Gangotri, a river town about 11,000 feet up in the Himalayas, where the Ganges River begins. We interviewed some of the villagers about their livelihood and living conditions. We found that most of the families had three children, with an older relative also in the house. Because of the weather, they farmed for only six months of the year. The whole village was Hindu – all vegetarians, and the Brahmins lived in a special part of town. From the village, there was an amazing view of the Shivling and Bhagirathi peaks, covered in snow, which reached to heights of over 20,000 feet. My activity week taught me to prepare for nature’s extremes, to get along well with other people, and to accept other cultures.

Sports Day 2006, running

Woodstock's annual sports day 2006 went smoothly. The day was cloudy and cool. Both Chris and Cole ran in various races.
The picture with Cole shows representatives of the three House colors: red Merlins, blue Eagles, and green Condors.