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All Grades: October 19-24
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Autumn is here and once again we will be heading out on our all-school Fall Expedition. The theme of our Fall Expedition is Teamwork and Community, and it is a very important part of the SBMS tradition. The Fall Expedition is an opportunity for the new students to bond with our school family and for the older students to develop their roles as mentors and helpers.
We will be centering our expedition around Morro Bay and Montana de Oro. This is a magnificent time to be outside exploring the area as the foliage takes on its autumn hues. We will be camping at Morro Bay State Park, while we cycle in the surrounding areas, kayak on the bay, and hike through the sand dunes. On Friday, we will ride over the mountain tops and through apple orchards via See Canyon to Avila Beach and then shuttle back to Morro Bay for our final campfire. On Saturday, we will shuttle everyone to the Santa Barbara Mission where we will bike to SBMS to ride proudly into Homecoming.
The days at this time of year will most likely be warm, but the nights can be quite cold. Please be sure to follow the equipment list.
This is a wonderful opportunity for the students to be away from their families in a caring and supportive, yet challenging environment. Therefore, no cell phones, iPods, or other electronic devices are allowed. Even though we are only a few hours away, we want the students to learn to rely on us and each other to help them through any discomforts or homesickness they may experience.
To help our students have a positive tenting experience with their partners, we have the following policy. Students are given a preference sheet to indicate with whom they would like to tent or if they would like to tent alone. Students who are unsure of a tenting partner will be assisted. Partnerships will be determined and indicated on the Expedition Agreement to be signed by both student and parent.
Please do not send your child with bags of candy, 6-packs of soda, or other unhealthy food. The school will provide all of the food students will need while on the trip. Also, the campground has ants, racoons, deer, and wild pigs that would be happy to eat food stashed in tents or duffel bags.
To help keep students’ gear dry and protected, Whit’s Warehouse offers Ortlieb water-proof duffel bags, at special SBMS-only prices. We strongly suggest you purchase them for your child’s SBMS career. These duffel bags are very durable and will last their entire time at the school. (They can also be used on the bike and BOB trips.) The maximum duffel bag size allowed is the size of an Ortlieb duffel bag which is 5,431 cubic inches.
If your child takes any medication, please fill out the enclosed Authorization for Dispensing Medication form to the SBMS office by Friday, October 9. Double check that your child has his/her medication when departing for the trip. If you will be out of town during our trip, please let the office know how to reach you in case of an emergency.
On the day of our departure, Monday, October 19, your child should arrive ready to ride with a sack lunch, helmet, gloves, hydration pack and/or 2 water bottles. All other trip gear should be in their duffels to be loaded along with their bikes for transport.
Please see the ITINERARY for important dates regarding information due to the school as well as the trip itself.
Thank You!
See you at Homecoming!
Erin Finnegan
Outdoor Education Coordinator
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