Project Week

“I love Project Week because you get to spend time with your friends and have fun while you learn.”
--- Altamont Ninth Grader

 

Click on this link to view a list of upcoming 2008 Project Week Trips.

For one week in October, the doors swing open and the world becomes the classroom to Altamont students. During Fall Project Week students immerse themselves in everything from maritime ecology to “Books, Blues and Barbeque,” visiting places around the corner and around the world.

Project Week, the brainchild of former Altamont Headmaster the late Martin Hames, was created in the late nineties as a way to consolidate annual class trips during one week and give all students the chance to learn in interesting settings. A scholarship fund, named in honor of Hames’ mother, Mary Hames, provides help with expenses for students who might not otherwise be able to travel.

2006 Fall Project Week Trips

Fifth graders will enjoy The Camp McDowell Environmental Camp where they will have fun exploring the 900-acre outdoor classroom. The hands-on science program helps students understand the natural world with such classes as “Forest Critters”, “Pond and Stream”, “Down to Earth”, and “Rock Query”. Other activities include outdoor fun and games and a night hike. In addition, students will learn team-building and problem-solving skills while they get to know their new classmates.

The sixth grade will go to Camp High Rocks in western North Carolina, which provides an atmosphere that de-emphasizes competition and elevates community and personal growth. Students will hone their adventure skills with such activities as rock climbing and ropes courses to backpacking and canoeing. At the same time, students will be able to try new things while they learn to trust one another, and work through difficult situations as a team, helping develop confidence, good decision-making skills, and a sense of social responsibility.

Jekyll Island, Georgia, will be the destination for seventh-grade students learning about ecology. Students will learn about the maritime forest, salt marsh, erosion and accretion of the beach as the island moves slowly south. They will study a variety of marine and forest animals. Science teacher, Naomi Buklad commented that “Having the experience of seeing a whole ecosystem echoes through the school year, as students recall specific examples of interactions of species, of adaptations of animals, or of words such as ‘phytoplankton’ or ‘zooplankton’ which they found in their nets and then looked at under their microscopes.”

The eighth grade will travel to Washington, D.C. for a close look at our government at work, a trip that enriches their current history class. The itinerary will include a visit to the White House, a photo opportunity with Congressman Spencer Bachus, a tour of Antietam National Battlefield, a day at the Smithsonian museums, and an evening performance at historical Ford’s theater.

This year, the ninth graders will participate in a group adventure program at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), located along the Nantahala River in western North Carolina. NOC and Altamont staff members will lead students in activities such as white water rafting, a ropes course, and an alpine tower. All of the activities are by choice, but students are encouraged to participate in everything the week has to offer. The week is designed to five students the chance to expand their horizons and bond as a group.

The annual College Trip gives students the opportunity to visit colleges and universities as prospective college applicants. This year, they will visit Washington and Lee, University of Virginia, Georgetown, George Washington University, University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Haverford College, Swarthmore, Lehigh University, LaFayette College, Princeton, Johns Hopkins University, and Goucher College.

Autumn Project Week in Chicago will feature tours, performances, and workshops centered on the vibrant theatre of the Windy City. Among the performances will be the Broadway hit Wicked and a new production of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. They will participate in a Theatre Stories walking tour and hone their skills in an Improv Workshop at the famed Second City. Local actors and directors will accompany the Altamont group to make this a memorable theatrical experience. Museums and activities at Navy Pier will round out this artistic week in Chicago.

Jake Linder and Cile Franklin will lead a group of Upper School students on a fast-paced tour of Italy with private tours of such landmarks as the Forum, the Coliseum, and the Vatican. Students will travel to Pompeii to visit the ruins; see the beautiful countryside of Tuscany; see the glorious art in Florence, Verona, and Venice. After busy days of sightseeing, students will be able to experience La Passeggiata, a slow evening stroll past cafes, shops, and of course, historic monuments.

Jimmy Wiygul’s Books, Blues and Barbeque trip is legendary at Altamont. Each year, he leads Blues fans on a culinary and musical pilgrimage in the Mississippi Delta. Students study blues history, folklore and culture as they travel through the Mississippi Delta and Memphis. They visit Blues “holy” sites (Robert Johnson’s three graves), barbeque joints (the Rendezvous), museums (Delta Blues, Civil Rights, Sun Records), literary sites (Faulkner, Welty, Williams), “jukes” (B.B. King’s), Parchman Farm Prison, Hopson Plantation, and even church (Al Green’s Full Gospel Tabernacle).

Pattie Bank will lead students on Outdoor Adventures in Wild Alabama. Alabama is a state full of beautiful and diverse environments: sandstone and limestone cliffs; wild rivers full of animal and plant life unique to this state; and many great trail systems (some as close as Hoover) with plant life ranging from tulip poplars to cacti. In a series of day trips and activities, including rock climbing, canoeing, and hiking, students will have the opportunity to explore and enjoy a sampling of what this state has to offer.

The Paris trip is a longstanding tradition at Altamont. For our French students, it offers an ideal opportunity to test their language skills and walk in the footsteps of the characters they remember from beginning French class. The group will visit all the major Paris monuments, opting for a cruise down the Seine River when their feet give out. Fortunately, students will walk many miles a day, for French food is fantastic, even in the smallest bistro.

Fall Project Week in Mexico! Judy Collier and Laura Anne Ottaviani-Chacon will lead students on a quest to Mexico to sharpen their Spanish skills and experience the culture of our neighbors to the south. Our destination is Cuernavaca, the “City of Eternal Spring,” located about 50 miles south of Mexico City. Following daily language classes, students will visit spots of interest in Cuernavaca, a popular travel spot since the days of the Aztec emperors and Mexico’s rulers, including Hernán Cortés, Maximilian, and the Empress Carlota. The trip includes two full-day cultural explorations: the first to the ruins at Tenochtitlán and at the end of the week, to the beautiful colonial city of Taxco. Living with host families and practicing their Spanish 24/7, participants will have a short, but intense, immersion experience.

Travelers on the Gators and Groupers trip will have an adventure in the natural setting of the Florida panhandle at Wakulla Springs State Park. While there, they will take a jungle cruise to observe wildlife and see the sites where such movies as The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Joe Panther, and the early Tarzan movies were made. Each day, they will swim, snorkel, and hike. The next stop is Grayton Beach, Florida for a day of deep sea fishing. Dinner will be the catch of the day! On the trip home to Birmingham, students will stop to see the monarch butterflies resting on their trek to Mexico.

Each year, students have the opportunity to provide manpower for various service groups around the city during Altamont’s Service Project Week. In addition to working, students learn about the variety of volunteer opportunities in Birmingham and how to be an effective volunteer.

Some Upper Classmen will spend Project Week getting prepared to take SAT tests during the weeklong SAT Prep session, led by Bunnie Tent and Jim Palmer. This course has been highly successful during past years at helping students raise their SAT scores.