Student Life

Field Trips & Retreats

Experiential learning helps students build valuable connections between their course curriculum and the world around them. It also helps foster a spirit of responsibility and respect for their community and history. We regularly schedule enriching experiential learning trips where students can spend a few hours to a few days outside of their regular school environment.

Student on ropes courseIn Middle School, each grade level travels on a "grade level experience." The distance of the destination increases from Grades 6 to 8, thus preparing for future 9th graders a solid foundation in group travel before their Costa Rica trip. 

Field Trips

Because many of the most meaningful learning experiences take place beyond the classroom walls, The Epiphany School of Global Studies incorporates field trips that are an essential part of the educational process, especially in the Primary and Elementary Schools.The students begin to experience and understand the world almost as soon as they start school.

Grades 6-8

  • In Grade 6, we travel to Jamestown and Williamsburg to see Native American and Colonial history firsthand.
  • In Grade 7, we travel to Charleston, spending the night aboard the USS Yorktown, just as the sailors did in World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War.
  • Grade 7 also visits Fort Sumter and enjoys the carriage rides through historic Charleston.
  • In Grade 8, we spend three days and two nights in Washington DC, surveying all of the museums and monuments, such as the Holocaust Museum and Arlington National Cemetery.

Retreats

Beginning in the seventh grade with a day trip and progressing to overnight trips in eighth grade, Epiphany offers each class a retreat at least once a year. These retreats are viewed as both bonding experiences and learning opportunities for students. Every retreat includes small and large group activities, climbing challenges, discussions, cookouts, and time simply to relax. Students regularly reflect fondly on retreats as highlights of their previous year.

The advisors and the Director of Student Life spend time with the students working on a particular age-appropriate theme. The retreats have camp activities, particularly team-based initiatives, along with activities provided by Epiphany. Each grade level (6-11) journeys an annual Fall retreat to a local camp. Each camp differs according to grade level. The overnight retreats (grades 8-11) include evening festivities: skits, songs, and games.

Students on retreat are encouraged to take a break from school, discover the gifts of their classmates, as well as their God-given gifts, and to uncover these gifts for their journeys. In lieu of a fall retreat, the senior class spends the month of May in their "Love In Action" program. With their academic requirements fulfilled, seniors spend their last month at Epiphany in the service of others, whether locally or abroad.

Grades 6-8

  • Grades 6-8 go on an annual Fall retreat to Camp Don Lee in Oriental, NC.

Grades 9-10

  • Grades 9-10 go on an annual Fall retreat to Camp Albemarle in Newport, NC.

Grade 11

  • Grade 11 travels inland to Camp Chesnut Ridge in Efland, NC.