I am in the Great Smokey Mountains with my amazing 6th grade students this week.

They are truly an outstanding group of young people. They are kind to each other and treat each other like family. They are respectful and follow the rules. They are not afraid to try new things and have been very adventurous on this trip. They achieve whatever they set their minds on. They are a powerful group. They have a dramatic flair unlike I have ever seen in a class of 6th graders. There is a larger class of 6th graders from another school here with us at camp. My students are not afraid to be who they are even in front of them. They are still being themselves, even in front of unknown peers. They are brave.