WIN $15,000!

Purchase $10 raffle tickets for your chance to win big! Read More

Contact Us

Cancel

The Battle of Lawrence

Posted March 17, 2022 in Articles

The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence
The Battle of Lawrence

Mud squelched beneath boots. Shovels pushed past rocks and tree roots. It’s World War I time again at Upper School and students in grades 9 and 11 have been busy digging trenches fortified with fallen branches and leaves.

Organized by Mr. Kubinski and Mrs. Sternad, this annual two-day event brought students directly into the action and gave them a glimpse of daily life during WWI. Freshmen have been studying the impact of the war around the globe, while juniors took more of a U.S.-focused approach, studying its effects on minorities and women in particular. Earlier this week, those lessons wrapped up as history came out of the classroom and into the woods.

“I’ve been counting down the days until this,” junior Maryclaire said. “We originally missed out as freshmen because of Covid, and I was so excited we got to do it this year. It’s one of the coolest things we do at school.”

Day one began with an obstacle course boot camp. Then the 70-plus participants designed flags, made stew and hardtack, scouted their outdoor positions, and watched the film 1917 in order to get a visual of the trenches. When digging began on day two, they kept that visual in the back of their minds, knowing just how deep their trenches needed to be and how soldiers defended themselves.

“Being in the trenches, it’s built a bit of camaraderie with all of us, too,” junior Adam said. “You get to feel a little of what the soldiers went through.”

Joshua, a freshman, added: “It does feel real because you’re exhausted, there’s mud all over you, but you have to get your hands dirty to get the work done.”

Of course, an event that sparks so much excitement included more than preparing defenses. Students, some sporting camouflage and others donning pieces of a ghillie suit, used water balloons for target practice, wrote letters home as if they were stationed at the front, and decoded messages on walkie-talkies. Then, the battle got underway.

A combination of capture-the-flag and dodgeball pitted the class of 2023 against the class of 2025 in a quest to seize the opposition’s flags. Medics patrolled the field, assisting “injured” soldiers so they could rejoin their platoons. A mid-battle break gave both sides the chance to alter their strategies, but in the end, it was the juniors who triumphed. Although they didn’t recreate a specific battle, students had an opportunity to devise tactics, team up with their peers, and, perhaps most importantly, earn some bragging rights.

“These students, when they graduate and look back, many of them will remember these as some of their favorite days from high school,” Kubinski said.

History doesn’t have to stay within the confines of a textbook or school building. Nor should it. By engaging with so many aspects of World War I, students brought the past into the present, connecting those events to contemporary ones. And now that the battle has been waged and the shovels put away, this mix of facts, dates, and action is unforgettable.


Share on Social

Stay up-to-date with all things Lawrence

* indicates required

Get Started

Our community is full of people just like you—parents who hold unwavering belief in their child's bright future.

Request Info Schedule a Visit

Share This Page

Photo Gallery

1 of 22