Middle-schoolers try new activities

Southwest Middle School students painted, baked and participated in other activities on Friday during their last school day of 2016.

For Exploratory Day, students had the option to travel to Mount Kato, Minnesota Zoo or other places, or stay at the school and participate in other activities.

Teachers came up with activity ideas and presented them to students, who were given the choice of what they wanted to participate in. Students were then divided into different groups. Full-day and half-day sessions were available.

“It’s just a fun morning of getting them out doing something that they might not get the experience to do outside of this, so we are just giving them the option of picking what they want to do and letting them have fun doing it,” teacher Julie Eaton said.

Eaton’s group planned to watch a movie Friday afternoon and enjoy baked goods, which they made that morning.

“We focus so hard on math and reading and all of the content areas that a lot of the time we don’t have time to do the extra things,” said Principal Steve Kovach.

Exploratory Day allowed students to connect with teachers whom they otherwise do not interact with and show talent that might not be known in core classes, Kovach said.