Trip to Acadia inspires Newfound students to explore outdoor learning

BRISTOL — Gavin Royea and Zach North are two juniors at Newfound Regional High School who participated in an extended learning opportunity at Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, this summer. They agreed getting out in nature provided an “awesome” experience, which included putting away their smartphones.

Gavin, whose project focused on how mental health is affected by time outdoors, told members of the Newfound Area School Board on Sept. 8, “The important thing about this was the disconnection from everything, so being off all your electronics, talking to people instead.”

The presentation fit into discussion at the meeting about developing a policy to accommodate the state’s new “bell-to-bell” smartphone ban. Superintendent Paul Hoiriis referred to Gavin’s presentation about mental health and the effect of disconnection from electronics.

“I walked through every classroom today in the high school and, for the first time in over a decade, I didn’t see a single cell phone,” Hoiriis said Sept. 8, “and kids were very chatty and engaging, and I asked, ‘What do you do at lunch?’ And they said, ‘I played cards with my friend.’ And the teachers and some of the students commented, ‘The cafeteria is so loud now because everyone talks.’”

Hoiriis has been looking into how the district can conform to the new law while accommodating students who need to communicate with the outside world for college applications, jobs, and other responsibilities.

At the board’s previous meeting on Aug. 25, Shevaun Cazeault of Alexandria had argued for expanding the medical accommodations in the law to include electronic health devices, allowing high school students to use phones during lunch and flex periods “for legitimate personal work and post-secondary planning needs,” and allowing students to wear smart watches in disabled communication mode.

Leah McFarland, the student representative to the school board, said she uses VLACS, a nonprofit virtual learning program which allows students to study at their own pace.

“I was told at the very beginning that I started VLACS my freshman year, I needed a personal account to continue with my VLACS. So as someone who will need to check my personal account to get my VLACS grades, I think that might be an issue for some students moving forward.”

Responding to those concerns, Hoiriis said, “We had a recommendation of our policy committee, based on our conversation there and our feedback from the public and our student rep. last time. We’re going to launch a task force within that to look at opportunities for students to engage in professional development in a structured manner. So that way, they're, we’re not cutting off opportunities for the students, and making sure that it’s done in line with what the state expects. Because now the state has kind of thrown it back on the schools regarding laptops. They’re waffling a little bit with their language.”

The task force would have representatives from the staff, students and parents, he said.

“We’re going to address the issues around VLACS, around access and scholarship. Like talking about, is there a safe-use zone ... a professional environment where a school-issued Chromebook isn’t going to cut it. How can we help them gain access for that special, specific purpose?”

There was general agreement the smartphone ban during school hours was having a positive impact on academics and socialization.

Learning opportunity at Acadia

Acadia Adventure trips, with 12 students participating each June, have a prescribed agenda, focusing on the economics and ecology of Acadia National Park, including forest ecology and a discussion of costs and benefits of maintaining public lands. There are components on wellness history and the Indigenous people whose homeland included what now is a national park — the Wabanaki, People of the Dawn — as well as the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Mi’kmaq Nations who continue their cultural traditions in Acadia.

The students stayed and dined at the Schoodic Institute, where they saw what it’s like to be immersed in scientific and cultural studies. They also had a chance to hike and explore the area. They visited Oceanarium where they could see and touch intertidal creatures; sailed on a schooner; and got to walk on the sand bar which gave Bar Harbor its name.

Gavin said he was motivated to find out how a visit to Acadia might alleviate the problem cited in statistics showing 20% of teenagers his age have mental health issues.

“When you’re outside,” he said, “you can feel you accomplish more. Rather than, like, being inside, you’re kind of sitting there doing nothing, you don’t feel it’s accomplished [much].”

Because it takes four or five hours to reach the park, the students first stopped at Blueberry Point, where they got out of the vans to hike; they returned to Blueberry Point on the last morning for a view of the sunrise.

“While I was in Acadia, I just saw all these different ecosystems, which I thought was pretty cool,” Gavin said.

“We saw so many deer, so much wildlife. The sea creatures were awesome. You saw a bunch of seals and stuff, then you could go to the town, where you saw all the little lobster shops.

"I’m more kinesthetic. I love to move around. When I move around, my mind’s clear.

"I feel like I’m a better person when I’m out and about. For some people, maybe it’s talking to someone or reading a book, whatever you prefer. Everyone’s different.

"It’s just this is a really great way, I think, in my opinion, to make your mental health better.”

Zach focused on how visiting tourists can impact the park’s ecosystem.

“Leaving trash, even it’s just a small scrap, can attract unwanted wildlife and disrupt the natural environment,” he said. “It can also dull the beauty of Acadia National Park.”

The students set a goal of picking up any trash they found, to help keep the ecosystem in balance.

Zach also said overcrowding, noise pollution, and disrespecting the park’s rules can make it hard to preserve the land, and serve to limit its future.

“National Parks are not for people, it’s to help preserve the land,” he said.

Responding to a question about how they might change Newfound’s practices after experiencing Acadia, both suggested incorporating the outdoors into teaching.

“I remember my freshman year, I was doing a walk around the school. I don’t remember what class it was, but they pointed out the outdoor classroom. And since that, I’ve never ever used the outdoor classroom,” Gavin said. “I feel like that’s kind of handicapping students a little bit, because, especially with reading, you have the opportunity to be outside. It’s much more peaceful to get away from all the noise of all the kids screaming down the hallways, the intercoms, and stuff. I think it could be really beneficial to students.”

Zach agreed.

“We have a beautiful campus and we have plenty of spaces to go. I think the only class that wouldn’t be able to go outside is a cooking class, because they need the kitchen. But math class, you can bring out whiteboards, you can bring out papers. Science, again, outside, no matter what. P.E., you can be outside. Literacy classes, again, you can just bring your books outside. So I think incorporating that within our learning could be super beneficial.”

Sarah Ohl, who teaches family and consumer science, said she thought even her classes could have an outdoor component.