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By Stephen Press
Hometown Weekly Staff
On a Wednesday morning, Medfield's Rocky Woods Reservation is like many other nature preserves in the state. The parking lot is dotted with the vehicles of dog-walkers and casual hikers. A canopy of pines covers one's path into the forest. It is quiet, save the occasional songbird.
Suddenly, you catch a whiff of a campfire. As you move further, you start hearing voices in the distance. Finally, pushing onward, you see something curious: a line of children in Pilgrim garb, bows drawn, firing arrows at archery targets.
This is no ordinary Wednesday morning. The reservation is playing host to Wheelock's Rocky Woods Feast, a Medfield institution. The Rocky Woods program brings third graders, their teachers, parent volunteers and Girl Scouts together for a day of roughing it, Pilgrim style. On tap for the day: archery, fishing, cookery (fire-tending), and food prep. All done in Pilgrim garb, of course.
"This has been a tradition in Medfield that's been going on for many, many years - long before I started teaching here," says Emily Callahan, a teacher at Ralph Wheelock School. To her left, some students tend a fire. To her right, others make preparations for their upcoming feast on picnic tables. "This is my eleventh year coming and doing Rocky Woods. It's a culminating event for our Pilgrim study. We start studying the Wampanoag Native Americans and Pilgrims at the beginning of the school year, and this is how we really bring it all together with a hands-on learning experience. It's a wonderful day that we really absolutely love.
"[The kids] remember it because they get to be with their classmates outdoors, using what they've learned and just having a full, hands-on experience for the day. It's my favorite part of teaching third grade. It's why I love third grade."
It's not just the teachers and kids that seem to love it, though. Once one gets over the initial shock of seeing tens of pint-sized Pilgrims running around, the next thing one notices is the profusion of parent volunteers.
"Almost a one-to-one ratio," smiles Deeni Stevens. For the last five years, Stevens has been in charge of the Rocky Woods program. As her last child is coming through the third grade just this year, she will be handing the reins over to Karen Vazquez.
Pressed for a reaction to her five stellar years in charge of the program, Stevens defers all praise. "It's not me!" she insists. "It takes a village! Look at all of these parents here. It's amazing the turnout we get for volunteers. It's great. And we couldn't do it without the Girl Scouts!"
The Girl Scouts, for their part, are a stone's throw away, where they supervise four campfires. The middle school Scouts - who receive a special badge and a precious excused absence for their day's work - have all come through the Rocky Woods program themselves.
"It's a fantastic tradition," says Sara Drumm, who is here with the Scouts. "My daughters are now a freshman and a sophomore. When they were both in the third grade, I absolutely loved this Medfield tradition. Nobody can remember how the Girl Scouts got involved, but I guess way back from early on, it's been a partnership between the Girl Scouts and the school. So I knew I wanted to stay involved."
"It's something that's unique to Medfield. It sets us apart. It sets our Girl Scouts apart. It sets our school system apart. You know that this means so much to those third graders who are going through," she says as the area around the picnic tables is filling up with hungry, wide-eyed children. The feast is about to begin. "This is something they'll remember their whole lives."
