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High School Juniors Support Grader 2 Students at Sugarbush

Grade 2 students recently enjoyed one of the school’s most anticipated traditions—the annual trip to Yoder’s Sugarbush. This year’s experience was made even more special with the support of several high school juniors who volunteered to help guide and teach younger students throughout the day.

High School juniors Gavin Lass, Max DeSalvo, Ty Budenz, Henry Collins, and Oliver Cunningham participated in the field trip, assisting Grade 2 students as they explored the maple syrup-making process. Notably, Gavin and Max returned to the Sugarbush years after attending the same trip themselves, bringing their experience full circle.

After a brief orientation, the high school volunteers shadowed experienced Sugarbush educators before taking on leadership roles at the learning stations. As Grade 2 students rotated through each station, the juniors helped teach key concepts about collecting sap and producing maple syrup. They also guided students through the woods as they gathered sap, ensuring a safe and engaging outdoor experience.

The day wouldn’t be complete without a shared reward—students and volunteers alike enjoyed pancakes with fresh maple syrup, a highlight of the trip.

Held at the family farm and sugarbush of teachers Erika and Tom Meyer, this hands-on learning experience continues to be a favorite among students and their families. Now in its second year of including high school volunteers, the initiative reflects the school’s commitment to building meaningful cross-divisional connections. High school students also benefit by earning volunteer hours while developing leadership and mentorship skills.

Programs like this highlight the strength of the school community, bringing students together across grade levels for shared learning and memorable experiences.

A young girl in the foreground holds a stick to a tree while an adult and other children observe in the background of a wooded area.
A young man demonstrates a process to a group of children gathered around a large metal vat in a rustic barn.
Three children walk on a leaf-covered path towards a rustic building with shelves of pots in a bare forest.
In the top image, five young men sit on a fallen log in a wooded area, eating. In the bottom image, a woman addresses a large group of children and adults seated on the ground in a similar wooded setting.
Three people are sawing a log in a wooded area with fallen leaves on the ground.
A group of children and two adults stand in a wooded area with a large tree in the foreground and a wooden building in the background.
In the foreground, a group of children and adults are collecting sap from buckets in a wooded area, while the background shows a forest with bare trees and fallen leaves.
A young girl in a pink jacket smiles in a wooded area while a group of children gather around a metal vat in a rustic building.
A young man in a grey hoodie stirs a large vat of boiling liquid in the foreground, while a group of onlookers watches in the background, with shelves of bottles visible behind them.
Two people pour liquid from a metal container into a white bucket in a forest with fallen leaves covering the ground and bare trees in the background.
A group of children in the foreground listen to a man in the background who is gesturing towards a shelf of bottles.