Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
Note: The schedules outlined here are not finalized, however they will give
you all a sense of what the Spring Term Experience will be like on a daytoday basis.
Transforming the Future: Selectively Landscaping the Darrow Campus (Full Price: $130)
With Ms. Dutton and Mr. Fougère
Learn about landscape design! We will take a class in how to design for multi-season garden
interest, complete proposals, and ultimately create a perennial garden on campus. We have been
asked to design for a particular spot and given a budget to work with by Facilities. Along the
way, there will be work dividing perennials, cleaning up and updating other flower gardens, and
learning about plants, organic gardening, climate zones, budgets, and artistic design. We’ll take
trips: to the class, to botanical gardens, and to plant nurseries. At the end of it all, you’ll have the
satisfaction of watching a beautiful spot you designed grow and bloom over the years, as well as
more expertise as a landscape designer.
Wed 5/25
on campus
until
afternoon
Morning
Afternoon
tour gardens
& nurseries
off campus
landscape
design class
off campus
Thu 5/26
off campus
create design
proposal
work in existing
gardens, create
Guerrilla
Gardens
Fri 5/27
on campus
create
design
proposal
create
design
proposal
Sat 5/28
on campus
Sun 5/29
on/off campus
Mon 5/30
Memorial
Day on
campus
Tues 5/31
on campus
present
proposals
install garden
install garden
install garden
go shopping
for plants
install garden
install garden
install garden
Dance! (Full Price: $200)
With Mrs. Corral and Mr. Corliss
Learn what it means to move as a dancer. We will explore the possibilities of human movement
as a form of artistic expression through training in the basics of ballet, contemporary dance, and
improvisation. As an ensemble, we will choreograph an original work that explores the Darrow
landscape. Each section of our performance will be created to engage with the unique
characteristics of a particular location on campus. During our week, we will also work with
students at Mountain Road School and travel to see a professional dance performance. This
Spring Term Experience is open to anyone: you do not need any dance background to join.
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Mon 5/30
Tues 5/31
Morning
ST Starts
Intro to dance
skills (ballet
w structure)
Intro to group
Improv
Teach
Mountain
Road School
dance skills
Choreography
Small groups
- create a ~2
min piece &
critique
Set structure
and run-thru
Final
recording
Afternoon
More dance
skills
(Breaking the
rules
contemporary)
Kinesiology
Travel to
dance
performance
Site scouting
aka fun
campus hike
Costume/
prop/ set
design
Perform for
Mountain
Road School
Yoga and Creative Writing (Full Price: $500)
With Ms. Leisure and Ms. Russo
Treat yourself to a week of yoga, meditation, and creative writing at the end of the school year.
Together, we will restore, rejuvenate and enliven our bodies, minds, and spirits through the
practice of yoga and writing. Discover different styles of asana (yoga posture), seek out wisdom
from local yoga teachers, and explore new mental landscapes through meditation. Then, with
open minds and hearts, explore your creativity through writing. Workshops on creativity and
writing will inspire you. No yoga experience necessary. Just bring your open mind.
Wed 5/21
Th 5/22
Fri 5/23
Sat 5/24
Sun 5/25
Mon 5/26
Tues 5/27
A full day at
Kripalu with
breakfast,
lunch and
dinner
Morning
meditation and
writing
workshop
Morning Yoga
Morning yoga in
Pittsfield
Yoga
class
Morning yoga &
Creative writing
workshop
Yoga Workshop
with Raghunath
Cappo
Free Time
for reflection
Ms. Russo’s
house for
afternoon fun
and early
dinner
BBQ
Afternoon Trip to
The Mount Lenox,
Mass
(Home of Edith
Wharton)
Final creative
writing session
(student
readings)
Afternoon
Yoga Workshop
with Raghunath
Cappo
Packed lunch trip
and hike of the
‘Poet’s Walk at
Steeple top
Austerllitz,
NY (Home/
gardens of Edna St.
Vincent Millay)
Bonfire/ Smores
and poetry
Diners, Drive-Ins, Sense of Place (Full Price: $600)
With Mr. Ouellette and Mr. Carton
On the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: A Sense of Place Spring Term, students will develop a
stronger sense of place for surrounding towns through exploration of local sights and restaurants.
Students will reflect through journaling on their time in each town. They will also rate and reflect
on their time at each restaurant visited.
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
Morning
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Mon 5/30
Tues 5/31
Stockbridge,
MA
Troy, NY
Great
Barrington,
MA
Hillsdale NY
Catamount
Adventure
Park
Hancock, MA
Hancock
Shaker
Village
Albany, NY
State Museum
Work on
brochure
Norman
Rockwell
Museum
Downtown
exploration,
potential tour
from former
student.
Naumkeag
Afternoon
Stockbridge,
MA
Housatonic
River Walk
State Capitol
USS Slater
Monument
Mountain
Hike
Troy, NY
Great
Barrington,
MA
Hillsdale, NY
Catamount
Tavern
Pittsfield, MA
Berkshire
Museum
Albany, NY
Work on
brochure
Lanesboro,
MA
Olde Forge
Horseback Riding (Full Price: $700)
With Ms. Ordu
This Spring Term experience provides students with an opportunity for lessons in horseback
riding and horse/stable care and management. Daily chores will include grooming, feeding, and
general care. Lessons will include riding and/or driving instruction each day; instruction in
general and specialized horse care; equine nutrition; ground work and athletic training for equine
athletes; and equine healing and first aid. It will be horses, horses, horses all week long as we
learn to walk, post, trot, and jump, and become familiar with stable life. We will also attend a
horse show in the region, and watch movies about horses and riding.
(Please note: beginning to advanced riders are welcome. Willingness to participate in entire
range of animal care is a must.)
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Mon 5/30
Tues 5/31
Braeburn
9:30-3
(Leave campus
at 9:00)
Braeburn
9:30-3
(Leave campus
at 9:00)
Braeburn
9:30-3
(Leave campus
at 9:00)
Movies on
campus
Saugerties,
NY,
“HIT” Horse
Show
Braeburn
9:30-3
(Leave campus
at 9:00)
Braeburn
9:30-3 (Leave
campus at
9:00)
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
Outdoor Ed Extreme (Full Price: $725)
With Mrs. and Dr. Lightburn
Do you enjoy fun, outdoor adventures but like to sleep in your own bed most nights? Outdoor Ed
Extreme will take you high into the trees on an adventure course and across zip-lines. We will
hike, climb, find hidden treasure and launch an assault on a castle (paintball style). We will get to
spend a night in a cabin and go on a guided rafting tour. We’ll have some easy day hikes on
which we mosey through the woods, and some more strenuous days when you can challenge
yourself to the difficulties on the adventure course. There will be something for everyone, so join
us on Outdoor Ed Extreme.
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Morning
Hike
Zip and Raft
Zip and Raft
Continued
Afternoon
Geocache
Zip and Raft
Continued
Zip and Raft
Continued and
then back to
campus
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Mon 5/30
Climbing
Ramblewild
Paintball
Tues 5/31
Hike
And
Wrap-up
Climbing
continued
Venture Out (Full Price: $720)
With Perry Cohen (former faculty member and trustee of Darrow School) and Ms. Sutton
[Note: If you need to or want to rent equipment such as a backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad,
and stuff sack – you can rent these for an extra $100 from The Venture Out Project, please
note this on the sign up, if you would like to rent these items.]
Darrow is excited to partner with The Venture Out Project (TVOP) to offer a weeklong
backpacking trip on Vermont’s Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail. TVOP is founded and run
by former Darrow Faculty and Board Member, Perry Cohen. TVOP specializes in leading trips
for the LGBTQA community and this trip is open to anyone who identifies as a member of that
community or as an ally. We will spend seven days and six nights on the trail. Students will learn
the tenets of backcountry travel such as route planning, map & compass work, campsite selection
and set up, fire building, backcountry cooking, and Leave No Trace Ethics. Each student will
take a turn being leader for the day and will get to develop and practice leadership and group
facilitation skills. On the trail we will have the opportunity to work with the Green Mountain
Club on a service project. Highlights of the trip will be staying in an Appalachian Trail Shelter,
climbing the fire tower atop Stratton Mountain, optional swimming in pristine mountain lakes,
eating great food by the campfire, learning the history and geology of the trail, and, of course,
being in a safe and affirming community of other folks just like you.
And here's a link: http://www.ventureoutproject.com/
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
Wed 5/25
Drive to trailhead
Thu 5/26
Continue
backpacking
Fri 5/27
Continue
backpacking
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Continue
backpacking
Mon 5/30
Continue
backpacking
Tues 5/31
Continue
backpacking
Back to
Darrow
Canyon Country Backpacking (Full Price: $1,100)
With Mr. and Mrs. Priest
Few landscapes create such surprise, bewilderment, and delight for visitors as the deep, twisting,
and colorful slot canyons of southern Utah. This trip will combine the adventure of wilderness
backpacking with a thorough immersion into the natural and human history of the area. The
mighty Colorado River and its side branches carve through the rock layers of this plateau and
expose a quarter of a billion years of geologic time. After flying out to Utah and driving through
the famed Capitol Reef National Park, we will descend down into maze-like slots in the rock
with names like Peek-a-boo Gulch, Buckskin, Dead Horse, & Spooky. Though the remoteness
and ruggedness of the terrain makes the backpacking itself moderately challenging, we will not
be hiking long distances, and the trip is suitable for willing beginners. Come play and learn in
one of the Earth’s greatest wild places.
Tues 5/24
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Bus/Van from
Darrow to Albany;
flight from Albany
to Salt Lake City;
Shop for groceries;
night in hotel in
SLC
Drive from
SLC 4
hours to
Capital
Reef
National
Park;
Go to Park
Visitor
Center for
overview
of canyon
country
history and
geology;
car camp
in Park
Finish
packing food
and gear for
backpacking
trip;
Drive 2 hours
from Capital
Reef National
Park to
trailhead;
begin
backpacking
trip in the
Canyons of
the Escalante
Backpack
trip
continues…
Backpack
trip
continues…
Backpack
trip
continues…
Mon 5/30
Backpack
back to
van; drive
from
trailhead to
Salt Lake
City (~7
hours);
stay in
Motel 6
near SLC
airport;
clean up,
de-rig and
celebrate
with a final
banquet
Tues 5/31
Early
morning
flight
from SLC
to Albany;
bus/van
from
Albany to
Darrow
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
Cape Cod (Full Price: $1,350)
With Ms. Katz and Mr. Tift
We will explore beautiful Cape Cod with an eye on issues of sustainability. How did the native
people live there and survive the sometimes harsh conditions? How have excessive fishing and
over-development affected the environment, specifically marine mammals? We will visit a
natural history museum, an art museum, and an aquarium that rehabilitates injured seals; we’ll
study with the Audubon Society and volunteer with the National Seashore; and, we’ll visit the
ocean and bay beaches, as well as the kettle ponds carved out by glaciers during the last ice age.
It will be an active Spring Term including swimming, biking, boating, walking, and kayaking.
One day, we will tour Provincetown, one of the happiest and most accepting places in the world.
What could be better than a beach bonfire and s’mores on our last night of Spring Term?
Morning
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Mon 5/30
Tues 5/31
Leave after
breakfast.
Rent bikes
and ride the
rail trail.
Drive to
Edward
Gorey House.
Visit
museum.
Lunch in
Yarmouth
Port.
Explore
village.
Sleep in and
then visit
Wellfleet Flea
Market.
Spend whole
day in
Provincetown
.
Lunch in
Ptown.
Spend day at
a kettle pond.
Kayak trip
lead by
Audobon
Society.
Lunch
Wellfleet or
Eastham
Pack up and
leave rental.
Visit Woods
Hole Science
Aquarium.
Lunch in
Woods Hole.
Marine Life
Cruise w/
Audubon
Afternoon on
Bay Beach or
Ocean Beach
depending on
tide schedule.
Dinner.
Whole day in
P-town.
Volunteer w/
National
Seashore
Drive home.
Home by
Dinner.
Drive to Cape.
Visit Cape
Cod Museum
of National
History. View
exhibits and
go on a
guided field
walk.
Afternoon
Lunch in
Brewster.
Drive rest of
way.
Visit Bay.
Beach
Dinner.
Explore
Wellfleet
Harbor.
Lunch at
harbor. Ice
cream at
Emack and
Bolio in
Wellfleet.
Visit
Audubon in
Wellfleet Bay
Wildlife
Sanctuary.
Dinner.
Dinner.
Lunch in
Wellfleet.
Dinner. Night
in at rental.
Last night
bonfire on an
ocean beach.
Take out
pizza picnic
on beach.
S’mores.
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
SoCal Arts and Entertainment (Full Price: $1,700)
With Mr. Toole and Ms. Pressley
The SoCal Experience is designed to immerse students in California culture, art, and theater. We
will be traveling to L.A. to get the most out of the entertainment hub of the world, exploring
movie studios, seeing theater and stand-up comedy, as well as getting involved with the artistic
communities in the area. Then we will drive out to Joshua Tree to spend a day in the desert at an
outdoor gallery and a place called the Integratron, before going down to San Diego to see more
theater, movies, and to spend some quality time in nature at the state reserve.
Morning
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Mon 5/30
Tues 5/31
ST Starts
West
Hollywood
stuffshopping Studio Tours
LA
Arts District
Travel to
Joshua’s
Tree Integatron Outdoor
Gallery
Day in San
Diego Torrey Pines
state reserve
– possible
swimming
Travel back
to LA Flight from
LA to
Albany
On campus
fun
Travel to San
Diego
Show at Old
Globe
Theater
Home in the
evening
On campus
fun
Travel from
Albany to
LA
Venice
Santa
Monica Peir
Afternoon
Travel,
getting
settled in in
(hostel)
UCB Show
Largo Show
Amigos en Mexico (Full Price: $2,000)
With Mr. Hirschfeld and Ms. Gardner
Mornings in high school with our Mexican friends, fascinating excursions, fun activities... this
interactive immersion will find us trekking indigenous trails to climb ancient pyramids to reenact
Aztec ceremonies, floating down canals with serenading Mariachis, and exploring magical
villages while digging on Mexico’s colorful art and festive cuisine. Living with host families (23
Darrow students per home), connecting with Mexican peers, and engaging in socially conscious
projects will create uniquely authentic experiences that take us way beyond the typical tourist
scene. Come live the cultural and multi-sensory fiesta that is Mexico! All levels or no levels of
Spanish welcome - ¡Vámonos!
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
Morning
Tues 5/24
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Mon 5/30
Tue 5/31
Flight from
Albany to
Mexico
City
Ice-breakers
and games
with Mexican
friends
Spanish
class
Spanish
class
Tour
Mexico City
Spanish class
Social
interaction on
BIU
campus
Social
interaction on
BIU
campus
Volunteer at
Nuestros
Pequenos
Hermanos
Orphanage
Flight
from
Mexico
City to
Albany.
High school
with
Mexican
friends
High school
with
Mexican
friends
Explore
“Magical
Village,”
Tepozlan
Hike to
Aztec shrine
Climb
Teotihuacan
Aztec
Pyramids
Morning
classes
Afternoon
Tour
Arrive to
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca,
break into
house groups, Dance lessons
disperse to
home
hospitality
Social
interaction on
BIU
campus
High school
with
Mexican
friends
Lunch in
Taxco
Explore
“Silver
City”
Taxco
Experience
Xochimilco
mariachi on
river boats
Final visit and
shop in
Cuernavaca
Arrive
back to
Darrow
Time with
families
Finding Balance and Riding the Waves in Costa Rica (Full Price $2,100)
With Mr. and Mrs. Bennett
Immerse yourself in the inquiry of creating balance in your bodies and your life through the
practices of yoga and surfing. We will reside at the beautiful Nosora Yoga Institute, known
throughout the world for its vitalizing, life-opening experience of studying and practicing yoga.
Our days will be filled with yoga, surfing (including lessons), beach walks and listening to
howler monkeys while resting by the pool. These activities and practices are designed to guide
you in finding balance when riding the inner and outer waves of life. Our week will finish with a
day of adventure ziplining through the nearby forests.
Wed 5/25
Th 5/26
Fri 5/27
Fly from
Yoga and
Yoga and
New York
surf
surf
Typical Day:
• 8 am - Yoga
• 9 am - Breakfast
• 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Surfing
• 1 pm - Lunch
• 2 - 4 pm group activity in town
• 4 pm - rest
• 5 pm - yoga
• 6 pm - dinner
• 7:30 pm - evening reflection
Sat 5/28
Yoga and
surf
Sun 5/29
Yoga and
ziplining
Mon 5/30
Yoga and
surf
Tues 6/1
Return flight
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
Scotland (Full Price: $2,450)
With Mr. Slocombe and Mr. Werberger
Many people consider Scotland to be the most beautiful country on Earth, a nation full of
jawdropping landscapes and rich historical traditions. Join us as we investigate this complex
nation by exploring its Gaelic, Scots, English, and Scandinavian heritage. We will visit
Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital and one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities, walk the Royal
Mile, shop
Princes Street, and visit the Scottish Parliament in session. We will explore Cairngorms National
Park and the Highlands on ATVs, 4-wheeling through one of Britain's most scenic locations.
And we will be doing all of this from our home base in the historic city of Stirling, where our
beautiful house is only steps away from Scotland's most important castle, the battlefields where
Scotland won its independence, and a modern downtown full of arts and culture. Join us for a
unique experience.
Morn
ing
Tue 5/24
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Mon 5/30
Flight to
Edinburgh
Arrive at
Edinburgh.
Stirling!
Excursions in
Stirling.
Edinburgh!
Breakfast
in Stirling.
Highlands!
Quad
Trekking
ATV
Option
Day!
Train to
Edinburgh
Stirling Castle,
Bannockburn
Battlefield,
University of
Stirling,
Wallace
Monument,
Architecture
Tour,
Downtown.
Train to
Edinburgh.
Choices
include:
Perth,
Glasgow,
Falkirk, or
easy day in
Stirling.
Flight to
NYC.
See above.
Parliament
Visit,
Princes St.
shopping,
Nat. Mus.
of Scotland,
Royal Mile,
Dinner in
Edinburgh.
See above.
Family
dinner in
Stirling.
Bus to
Darrow
Take train
from
Edinburgh to
Stirling.
After
noon
In-flight
Relax and go
shopping for
food.
Around the
house and
neighborhood.
Dinner in
downtown
Stirling.
Group visit
to
Edinburgh
Castle.
Geological
Exploration
in
Cairngorms
National
Park.
Highland
Folk
Museum in
Newtonmore
Tues
5/31
Fun on
campus
Fun on
campus
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience
Travel Writing: A Northern Italian and Swiss Perspective (Full Price: $2,500) With
Mr. Brown and Ms. Pytleski
This Spring Term will be a luxurious insight into the fanciful world of Northern Italy and
Southern Switzerland. Students on this trip will focus on travel writing through a comparison of
Northern Italian and Swiss culture to their own culture, with an emphasis on community and sense
of place. The people of this region are enigmatic, the landscape, surrounded by the Alps, will
invoke wonderment, and the experiences that students will have will never be forgotten. Students
will embark on an insightful exploration of Italy's past, present, and future by observing its rich
art, fashion, food, and culture. A day trip to Switzerland will introduce students to the geographical
importance of the region of Ticino, and will give the students the opportunity to explore the castles
of Bellinzona, Switzerland. In Milan, students will be introduced to various cultural experiences
such as an opera in one of Milan's world renowned theatres, the largest gothic cathedral in the
world, and one of the most important streets in the world of fashion, Via Montenapoleone. This
Spring Term will introduce students to northern Italy and southern Switzerland, instilling a
yearning for exploration and cultural competency.
Tues
5/24
Morning
Leave
from
NYC
Wed 5/25
Thu 5/26
Fri 5/27
Sat 5/28
Sun 5/29
Mon 5/30
Tues 5/31
Arrive at
airport.
Relax
Leave early
to head to
Milano
Cemetery
and
architectural
walking tour
Leave for
Bellinzona
and have
picnic at
Montebello
Kids Choice
Leave for
Airport
On Campus
Fun
Explore the
cities and
towns
around Lago
di Como
walking and
using ferries
FAMILY
DINNER
Get lunch
Duomo
Hiking tour
of the three
castles of
Bellinzona
Kids Choice
FAMILY
DINNER
ARRIVE IN
NYC
MONDAY
NIGHT
On Campus
Fun
Take trains
and ferry to
Villa on
the lake
Afternoon
Plane
Stay at the
Villa and
relax from
travelling.
Go out
shopping
for food
and
necessities
Split
between
Montenapol
eone and
Castello
Opera al
Teatro
Piccolo
Back to the
villa
Dinner
downtown
Work on
Brochure
Spring Term 2016 Brochure
This year deposits are $100 for every experience