Caving is a bonding experience for Kittatinny teachers

Kittatinny-Led by their high school principal, 10 teachers from Kittatinny Regional High School spent a unique 48 hours testing their personal limitations on a Quest adventure in upstate New York. The 10 went underground on a caving expedition. According to Susan Kappler, Kittatinny principal, an experienced “spelunker,” the adventure took teachers out of their comfort zone and put them, quite literally, in the dark. “Each teacher stretched their area of comfort,” said Kappler. “Whether it was conquering their fear of bats or heights, being anxious about enclosed and extremely tight spaces, or working on personal and professional challenges, each walked away with a stronger feeling of commitment to each other and their profession. I am very proud of all that they conquered.” In the first cave, the group scaled a 40-foot pit, climbed down a 50-foot arch crevice, crawled through a stream that ended in a mud room, encountered bat colonies, and belly-crawled through a stone slot that ended in an spectacular lake room. Then, after catching a quick breath, the 10 teachers groaned as they slowly realized that the only way out was to turn around and do it all again. The second cave was a canyon-filled stream passage that also tested their endurance and mental limitations, calling for them to “chimney up” tight spaces. Camping without running water and electricity that night brought its own challenges, followed by a strenuous nine-mile hike the next day to spectacular views of the Hudson River valley. Based on the adage of Project Adventure, Quest allows you to test yourself physically and mentally in order to better handle difficult situations and problems. The unspoken advantage of the activity is a strong sense of community, a strengthening of social bonds, and subsequently, stronger classroom instruction. Although the grueling trip was a unique experience for the 10 teachers, it was not unusual for Kappler and her husband, Vince, who have periodically led Kittatinny teachers on caving expeditions. The Quest adventure has been going on at Kittatinny for almost 10 years, with similarly positive results. Commenting on his adventure, science teacher Gene McNicholas, said, “By providing opportunities like this for its teaching staff, Kittatinny transcends the average professional development model. The faculty is able to bond and develop a network that allows them to meet the needs of students on a completely different level.”