It has been nearly five decades since Ladue Schools introduced Sixth Grade Camp to district families. While much has changed, the camaraderie built while attending Camp Mihaska in Bourbon, MO, has only strengthened.
“Simply put, Sixth Grade Camp builds community in our school and district, not only with our students but also with the teachers,” explained Mark Biernbaum, Industrial Technology teacher at Ladue Middle School and Camp Director for the last 21 years. “The bonding between Ladue Middle School staff members cannot be replicated. At camp, we are all a big team, and we do not have anything from our normal busy lives pulling at us; nobody is rushing to get home to do whatever. We are all in it for the kids and each other for that entire session.”
At the beginning of the school year, Ladue Middle School (LMS) sixth graders attend a week-long camp to develop their leadership skills and promote teamwork and problem-solving while fostering independence. Two sessions, each lasting two and a half days, are filled with team challenges, choice activities, free time, and evening activities.
“Generations of Ladue kids have come through Camp Mihaska to have this amazing experience. This year, some of our teachers were Ladue Schools students who have returned as camp staff because they truly get it,” detailed Martin Long, an 8th-grade science teacher at LMS. “For some of our sixth graders, it is their first camp experience away from home. The support of countless dedicated administrators, teachers, and high school student-volunteers over the decades has preserved this experience for almost 50 years.”
This year’s camp featured 21 staff members and another 35-40 high school student volunteers for each session, totaling over 75 student volunteers. Those volunteers are brought in as camp counselors who help staff members coordinate and run daily activities and team challenges.
“Camp could not happen without the assistance of our amazing high school students,” Biernbaum boasted. “Our high school camp counselors help to facilitate small groups of campers during the session. Not only does this provide a leadership experience for them, but it also provides connections between students throughout the district.“
Over 150 high school students inquired about being a Sixth Grade Camp Counselor this year, emphasizing the camp’s popularity among the Ladue Schools community.
“This was my second year as a counselor, and there is always a huge sense of community. In both years, I left camp with solid friendships,” exclaimed Cam Cross, a Ladue Horton Watkins High School junior. “I attended camp as a sixth grader, which was so much fun, and I absolutely loved coming back as a counselor. I remember how cool I thought the counselors were and how much fun they made camp. I aimed to ensure our current and future students have those same fond memories. Watching the teams grow closer and succeed at camp is great as a camper, but it is arguably better to experience as a counselor.”
For many, like Cam, it’s the bonding and the people who make camp an unforgettable experience.
“Mr. Biernbaum encouraged me to come back this year after my first year as a counselor, and I said yes because of the experience he has created,” she expressed. “He ensures the campers are having fun while still working on all the skills they come to camp to sharpen.”
“The bonding not only between the campers but between the teachers and the campers, the staff with the staff, and the campers with the high school students is priceless,” Long stated. “A special thank you goes to my good friend Mark Biernbaum. While he has many teachers who support him in the camp director role, he dedicates a tremendous amount of time to the program completely out of love for the experience it provides our students and staff.”
After 21 years as camp director and 28 years in the district, Biernbaum will retire at the end of the school year. As he reflects on the many memories, including watching his children attend camp as sixth graders and high school counselors, he feels the community’s appreciation.
“Sixth Grade Camp is like a right of passage into middle school that helps the kids develop important skills,” Biernbaum details. “I’ve loved providing this opportunity for our students, counselors, and middle school staff! When I was in junior high, we didn’t have a camp, overnight experience, or after-school opportunities that lasted more than an hour! I value this experience as I have seen the excitement and appreciation firsthand for the past 28 years!”
“Mark Biernbaum is Sixth Grade Camp,” Dr. Laila Crabtree, Ladue Schools Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. “The program would not have continued to run as successfully as it has for this long without him. Mark is always thinking about how to improve the camp experience for students and staff. He sees the camp's impact on two decades of sixth graders and is a passionate advocate for the program. Camp is a highly organized, well-oiled machine. Because of Mark's work behind the scenes, students and staff can enjoy themselves.”
Days at camp are long, with staff starting their days at 7:15 a.m. and many remaining on duty in the student cabins until 11:15 p.m. However, the results make it all worth it in the end.
“Pulling off Sixth Grade Camp is truly a community effort. Our staff that stays behind at school has the big job of keeping the building running,” said Dr. Crabtree, who was on the same team as her now husband when she attended the camp as a sixth grader. “Students will talk for years about their memories at Sixth Grade Camp. I attended Ladue's Sixth Grade Camp in 1990 at Camp Mihaska. My friends still talk about who was in their cabin and what team activities they attended. It is such a positive experience. It is not a given that all of our students have had an overnight camp experience before camp. That exposure helps grow students' independence and gives them a sense of accomplishment. Particularly in our digital age, it is a profound opportunity to let students unplug, be outside, and engage in new experiences they would otherwise not have at home.”
Sixth Grade Camp is a shining example of Ladue Schools’ commitment to providing unique opportunities for our students to participate in student groups and activities that promote building authentic relationships.
Check out more photos from this year's camp on Ladue Schools Facebook page.