High Desert Horizons Program By Bob Ippel, Superintendent Rehoboth Christian School If you have the opportunity to tag along with a Rehoboth sixth grade student, you might be surprised to find that you are not in the four walls of a classroom as much as you remembered when you were in school. Studying ancient civilizations? Travel to Chaco Canyon, Monument Valley or Aztec Ruins and connect the ancient civilizations of the local ancestral peoples before you study the ancient civilizations in Greece, China, Europe, Africa or South America. Learning about issues connected to the environment like solar energy or uranium spills? Travel to Bethany Church which is powered by solar panels or go to the Red Pond and hear about the worst radioactive disaster of the United States which happened only miles from Rehoboth. Motivated to become Creation Keepers? Students are given the opportunities to assist the Navajo Fish and Wildlife in taking surveys of protected fish populations and raising fish which are then released into streams in the Chuskas. They are also challenged to find other ways to make a difference in their communities. Authentic learning happens when students get to do real work that addresses the real needs of real people. Why do the sixth graders spend so much time out of the walls of the school? They are involved in the High Desert Horizons Program which is shaped by place-based education which “immerses students in local heritage, cultures, landscapes, opportunities and experiences, using these as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum.” This kind of learning sticks: just ask Rachael Tahy, a current Rehoboth ninth grader, who vividly remembers traveling to learn about these ancient cultures. Tahy says, “It made me aware of how much I took things for granted in New Mexico. It also gave me a better understanding of things that we have now. It makes you think about how other cultures were able to survive and live in our area.” Current sixth grader Ellen Zwiers shared that these experiences made her realize that there was so much that had happened before our modern times about which she had never thought. She now realizes that life has not always been lived the way we live it now. A highlight of the High Desert program is the use of the natural world around us as part of the classroom. Whether the Rehoboth ponds and trails or the forests of McGaffey, the sixth graders spend time getting to know themselves, each other, and the world around them. Outfitted with backpacks, tents and sleeping bags, students experience an outdoor education experience that they will never forget. If you would like your child to try out the High Desert Horizon experience, Rehoboth will be offering a free half-day opportunity on Saturday, April 30. See our ad in this issue of The Journey. Seats for the half-day camp are limited to 26 students. Register online at www.rcsnm.org and for more information about enrolling your child in Rehoboth’s sixth grade High Desert Horizon program, call 505.726.9609. 42
April 2022
