On October 17, Summit School third graders, their parents, and teachers enjoyed the 41st annual Pioneer Day at the Lewis farm in Traphill, North Carolina. Pioneer Day is experiential learning at its finest. The students could imagine what life was like in the days of the American pioneers by participating in activities such as candle making, corn husk doll making, butter churning, apple pressing to make cider, and quilting. Students also experienced what attending a one-room schoolhouse and going to an old fashioned doctor’s office would be like, with live leeches and all! Despite a steady rain, the participants all practiced the pioneer principles of cooperation, ingenuity, hard work, courage, and integrity to make Pioneer Day 2008 a truly great one. -Roanne Ornelles
