Learning about the environment from a textbook can seem distant and technical, so each year the seventh grade jumps into the Gwynn's Falls stream, that runs through campus, to test the waters for a spectrum of quality factors they have studied in the classroom. After collecting their data, the students spend time picking up trash along the streambed in an effort to leave the waterway in better condition than they found it. The day of exploring, cleaning, measuring, and playing helps students feel connected to and concerned about their campus and the world around them.