Next week marks the beginning of this year’s Passages, a foundational and beloved program that has been a part of Watershed since our middle school started in 2007!
Co-founder of Watershed School, Jason Berv, reflects on the history and purpose of Passages stating,
“Passages honors and marks the leaving behind of childhood, which is such a precious time in our lives, and the entrance into young adulthood. In 2007, we launched the first Passages to provide an opportunity for 8th graders at Watershed to reflect deeply on their childhood, to appreciate the gifts and challenges of their childhood, and to enter into young adulthood with greater confidence and with the love and support of the community of adults in their lives.”
This year’s 8th graders continue the tradition of embarking on a self-reflective journey and symbolic passage from middle school to high school and from childhood to adolescence during their May Term course, “Passages: Rock Warrior way.” This course will use rock climbing as a means for 8th graders to explore the inner workings of the mind and how they each react to challenge, struggle, failure, and fear both on the rock and in their own lives. Amir Erez, Watershed educator and this year’s Passages co-leader states, “We will also explore ideas of gratitude, privilege, leadership and physical and mental wellness during Passages and will use The Rock Warrior's Way: Mental Training for Climbers as our primary text.” This year’s Passages course includes a 10-day rock climbing experience in the field that will provide myriad opportunities for reflection and learning. Other course components include an overnight solo, hiking, and body and mindfulness training.
8th graders have been preparing for their Passages May Term course throughout the fourth quarter in their “Transformations of Thinking and Self” expedition class. “Transformations”, a course in developmental psychology, metacognition, and brain anatomy, is designed to give students a deeper understanding of their mental workings while empowering them to learn how to view cognition, emotion, and changes in their bodies and minds as a dynamic process that they can engage in and direct. They will put the learning they did in “Transformations” to work in “Passages: Rock Warrior way” as they delve deeper into their own personal experiences and reactions to challenge, struggle, failure and fear.
After returning from the field at the end of May Term, the 8th graders and their families gather for a final Passages Ceremony. This is a time for students to share their “Reflections on Learning” (ROL) from the course with their family members as well as general thoughts and feelings about their transition from childhood to adolescence. Families are then asked to present their student with a bowl. The bowl is symbolic and is intended to be filled with the family member’s hopes, dreams, and wishes for their child or with wisdom they would like to pass along to them. The rest of the group bears witness in supportive listening as each family takes their turn. Jason Berv remarks, “The culminating ceremony, after a transformational few weeks, has the kids honoring their parents and the parents honoring their kids. It is deeply moving to bear witness to such a ritual, and remains one of my fondest memories of my time at Watershed.”
While each year’s Passages offers a different field experience, the theme of self-reflection, growth through challenge, and honoring the journey from childhood to adolescence is the same. Maia ‘22 remembers her Passages experience three years ago as the most transformational and impactful experience she’s ever had. Maia states,
“Passages opened up my world— my eyes were opened to different ways of living in our world. I learned how to appreciate and respect others and, through that, to appreciate and respect myself. I still carry with me lessons about the importance of community, trust, friendship, and giving back. I know that this year’s 8th graders will have life-changing experiences that they, too, will carry with them into their high school years and beyond.”
