In the month of March, it is Preuss tradition to host a camp for sixth graders, to reward sixth graders with almost being completed with their first year, and to truly make them assimilate into Preuss. Last year’s sixth grade camp was virtual, and the year before that, it was canceled completely. This year Preuss is hoping to get the tradition kickstarted again.

From March 21st to March 25th, Sixth Grade Camp will commence. Sixth grade camp is a week full of events and activities that builds camaraderie and even introduces future college major choices and career paths. The schedule this year for the activities is the Birch Aquarium on Monday, Theater lessons on Tuesday, the UCSD Craft Center on Wednesday, World Beat Workshop on Thursday, and Sports Day on Friday. The most exciting part of every camp is the sleepover, although having it this year will be a problem. There will be no sleep over this year, due to strict covid protocols. Ms. Van De Vanter, a sixth grade social studies teacher, is the head of sixth grade camp this year.

“I’m glad we are in person this year because we can do some activities safely and students want some activities this year” Ms. Van De Vanter clarifies. “I really did not want a repeat of 2020 when we had to cancel it all together.”

Although Sixth Grade Camp is back, there are new covid protocols following it, and even issues that are arising
as we draw closer. Sixth Grade Camp includes large gatherings, which is risky due to covid spread. Students need to be fully vaccinated, and get tested frequently to make sure it doesn’t get shut down. The problem is that at this moment Preuss does not have enough buses nor enough staffing to make this work, and will need to fix that problem before Sixth Grade Camp commences, or else it would have to be canceled.

“We are doing our very best to keep this thing going, and hopefully we can give the sixth graders something to remember this year.” Ms. Van De Vanter explains. “ This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to build friendships and introduce the scholars to future career paths.”

Sixth Grade Camp is a week to remember, and the biggest threat to getting this memorable week getting taken away is Covid currently. Getting vaccinated, getting tested regularly, and staying safe can help ensure this week of fun and relaxation stays.