Students spend day on Flathead Lake
<p>Hot Springs kayakers triumphantly raise their paddles on Somers Bay of Flathead Lake. </p>
HOT SPRINGS – School may be out of session for the summer but there are still plenty of events going on at Hot Springs High School for students.
From June 9 through July 10 the Hot Springs School District is offering a series of camps for school district students.
“It’s a good way to keep the students active. We are trying to offer a nice blend of activities, mixing in academic and athletic activities,” Hot Springs Superintendent Kevin Meredith said.
On Friday, June 20, the adventure camp went off to Flathead Lake for some kayaking.
High school students traveled to Lakeside to enjoy the warm weather on the water.
Terry Du Beau of Hot Springs, who joined the students for their day on the lake, organized the trip.
“You get a neat perspective of the lake from a kayak,” Du Beau said.
Du Beau noted this was the first year the high school students were making a trip to Flathead Lake.
The group kayaked in Somers Bay before heading back to Hot Springs.
“The trip went great. The weather was fantastic and we saw an eagle and osprey,” Du Beau said.
These summer programs debuted two years ago as an attempt to keep kids learning throughout the year.
The kayaking trip involved four students from Hot Springs High School.
According to Du Beau two of the students had kayaking experience, while the other students were using a kayak for the first time.
“It was great because you can tailor kayaking to fit the individual,” Du Beau said.
The Hot Springs Summer Adventure Camp conducts a variety of events throughout the summer season.
The final event of the summer will be fly-fishing with Meredith.
Meredith added many of the programs offered a good opportunity to introduce students to healthy lifestyles.
“When we started two summers ago, the programs were met with a lot of excitement by students and the community,” Meredith said.
The variety of programs is an effort to cater to various interests and introduce students to activities they have not had the opportunity to enjoy before.
“The hope is to teach them some new skills. And it might be something that sparks an interest or a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their lives,” Meredith said.
This week sixth through twefth graders were scheduled to hike up Baldy Mountain.
However, according to Terry Du Beau the hike may be postponed due to the amount of snow reaming at the higher elevations of the mountain.
There still will be a trip for seventh through twelfth graders to Wild Horse Island on Flathead Lake next month.
The field trip is scheduled to take place on Friday July 11.
Following the kayaking session Du Beau hoped the school would be able to make another trip over to Flathead later in the year.
“Hopefully we can do another trip in the fall,” Du Beau said.