The second hiking trip of this academic year took place at the Dibrova quarry. Together with eighth-grade students, our teachers turned the day into an integrated journey into the worlds of geography, history, and the Ukrainian language.

Ihor Doroshenko led the geography part: an engaging lecture on topographic maps, coordinates, and azimuth quickly turned into practice. Students worked in groups:

• measuring distances on maps
• determining coordinates of points
• even interpreting satellite images

The historical component was presented by Bohdan Levchuk. Students learned that the settlement of Dibrova was called Drovianyi Post until 1961 and was once part of Poland. They heard stories about the granite quarry and, by the campfire, discussed Cossack expeditions and navigation without GPS.

In the evening, a real challenge awaited — a night orienteering route of about 5 km. Six checkpoints, light markers, maps, compasses, and radios — everything was real!

And in between — a zipline, a campfire, and watching a movie in the middle of the forest.

Under the guidance of Alla Fomina, students created sentences using participial phrases, describing the beauty around them. In this way, learning became a shared creative process and a source of true inspiration.

We thank our teachers for their organization, care, and belief in the students. Thanks to you, students step beyond the classroom, overcome their fears, and grow stronger — in mind, spirit, and heart!