Murray Jr. High School
Wolf Ridge
Multicultural Environmental
Retreat
Wednesday, November 5 — Sunday, November 9, 2014
Rock ClimbingAdventure RopesLeadership
Beaver EcologyVoyageur Paddle Dance
HikingCultural ActivitiesOwl Pellet Mystery
Dorm Group ActivitiesSuperior View Hike
New FriendsMaking Murray a Better School
What is Wolf Ridge?
The Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center is a beautiful nature center with 1200 acres of forested land overlooking the north shore of Lake Superior. It is located about 225 miles from St. Paul in the Finland State Forest near Finland, Minnesota.
The Wolf Ridge Center opened in 1988 with modern comfortable facilities including a dormitory, classroom building, and dining hall. The property has two lakes, Wolf Lake and Raven Lake, a section of the Baptism River, and a part of Sawmill Creek. There are miles of trails for hiking, snowshoeing and nature study. The center is an accredited school, with a staff of naturalists, interns, and support personnel. The Environmental Learning Center is a non-profit corporation with over 30 years of experience in providing a quality environmental education. Murray has been attending for over 30 years.
Why are we going to Wolf Ridge?
The goal of the retreat is to promote cultural understanding and to develop an appreciation of our natural environment. In addition, the retreat encourages cooperation among students and develops leadership skills to improve the school climate of Murray. This is an opportunity for young people to attend school in a different setting.
What do we do at Wolf Ridge?
In the morning and afternoon, there are environmental classes led by the Wolf Ridge and Murray staffs. These are active classes with most of the time spent outdoors. Twice a day we have cultural classes that focus on the uniqueness of cultural groups in America. They often include stories, music, food, and history. Some of the evening activities include outside volleyball, skits, team-building activities, naturalist presentations, and of course, snacks.
What are the living arrangements?
The 72 students are divided into groups of six boys or six girls. Each group has an adult and a student leader and has its own dorm room. The adult leaders are teachers, educational assistants, and community volunteers. The student leaders are eighth-graders who are carefully selected and trained in group leadership skills. The dormitories have modern bathrooms and showers. The Wolf Ridge cafeteria provides wholesome food.
Students will need to bring sleeping bags, toiletries and warm sensible clothing. A clothing list will be provided. Sleeping bags and warm boots can often be borrowed, so it is not necessary to purchase new items.
How are participants selected?
A drawing is held of all the applications, with concern for maintaining the racial, grade, and gender balance of the school. Students that are selected must maintain good behavior at Murray in order to participate. Group leaders are eighth graders selected on the basis of their responses to application questions and the recommendation of Murray staff. Group leaders may or may not have attended the retreat last year. Please note: Any eighth grade student who attended the trip last year with Murray, with the exception of those chosen to be leaders, will be moved to the end of the participant list.
What is the cost of the retreat?
The total cost per student, including transportation, meals, and lodging for five days plus instructional activities, is approximately $315. The retreat committee also gets funds from organizations, such as Western Bank, Saint Anthony Park Foundation, and Horace Mann Insurance Cos., from school district sources, from fund raising activities and from the contributions of parents and individuals.
We request a family contribution of $295 per student. Additional contributions are greatly appreciated. Often contributions qualify for matching funds by employers. Scholarship money is available for students who cannot afford the full fee. Students receiving scholarships are expected to arrange and do community service work for the financial support.
How do I apply?
- Students will attend an informational meeting at school on September 12th.
- The students must fill out the appropriate application (Student or Leader).
- Return applications to the Wolf Ridge Boxin front of the office by September 18st.
For more information:
- Call (651) 293-8740 to reach Tim Chase or Carrie Bittner
Tim Chase at
Carrie Bittner’s voicemail 293-8740 x. 45242
- Or visit