The Mendon-Upton Regional School District School Committee on April 7 approved an out‑of‑state field trip for the district's fifth graders to the Outdoor Classroom (formerly known as Nature's Classroom) in Ivoryton, Connecticut, scheduled for Wednesday–Friday, Oct. 29–31, the superintendent said.

Dr. Cohen, the district superintendent, presented the trip and said the Outdoor Classroom is the same program and location the district has used in prior years. She noted that families may opt to keep some students home and that the school will run parallel activities for students who remain on campus at NESCO. "Most of our students do participate. We always have a few that will choose to stay back for a variety of reasons," Dr. Cohen said. She also said that scholarship funds from the Outdoor Classroom and support from the PTO make the trip accessible to families.

The committee moved and seconded a motion to approve the trip and recorded the approval by voice vote.

Why it matters: the trip is a recurring experiential-learning program for the district's elementary students; staff emphasized continuity with prior years, arrangements for non‑participating students and the district's effort to avoid financial barriers.

Logistics noted in the meeting: the trip dates (Oct. 29–31), the site location in Ivoryton, Connecticut, on a Wednesday through Friday that includes the Halloween period but returns before Monday, and that students staying home will be provided supervised, similar outdoor activities and programming at the school site. Staff said some Outdoor Classroom scholarships helped reduce costs for families.

No detailed chaperone lists, exact cost per student, or transportation vendor names were given in the meeting record; staff said those details are handled as part of trip planning and family communications.