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Some Roanoke County students are living it up this summer, sailing at Smith Mountain Lake, kayaking on the New River, mountain biking at Carvin’s Cove, participating in archery, fishing, canoeing, and hiking McAfee’s Knob and Dragon’s Tooth. How did these students get so lucky?

They signed up for the Outdoor Adventure and Recreational Activities class to fulfill the 10th-grade requirement for P.E. offered by Roanoke County Public Schools in conjunction with Camp Roanoke.

The course runs from June 22 until July 9 at Cave Spring High School.

The reason for the summer class is so that students who are interested in freeing up an elective to take an extra year or art or music our any other elective.

“The majority of students that take this are looking to free up an elective for a special class at the specialty schools,” Barry Trent said.

The P.E. requirement for all  high school students to graduate is two semesters of health and two semesters of P.E. to fulfill SOL requirements.

“You have long days and you can’t expect kids to stay active all day, so we looked into offering an outdoor activities that teach lifetime skills and to allow the students to be a part of that,” Trent said. "We are exposing them to things that are specific to this area, that they can use for the rest of their lives."

Roanoke County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism is also partnering with the program.

Only 24 students are able to sign up for the course each summer, so when registration begins, it's a first come, first serve basis.

"We have to limit it to 24 students because of the activities that we do and the accrediting issue with the camp staff. It's been full every year."

Trent said that this year is the 4th or 5th year that Roanoke County has been offering the course and the demand is high.

"We have looked into offering a second course, but we run into conflicts with Camp Roanoke's schedule. We typically start registration the first of March and it fills up in two or three weeks. The course is only offered to those who have met the 9th-grade requirements and rising 10th-graders"

The first day of summer school is an orientation and group initiative. Throughout the course the students participate in a low and high ropes course, climbing tower, kayaking on the New River, mountain biking introduction at Carvin's Cove, shooting skills with the Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club, a day of fishing, canoeing, sailing at Smith Mountain lake, hiking MacAfee's and Dragon's Tooth, and on the final day the students present a project on a subject involving outdoor adventure or recreation to their peers.

Students are graded on specific skills, participation, and their final project. The course is taught by Mr. William Pratt who works with Jackie Rearick, Camp Adjunct with Camp Roanoke.

"We do feel good about it and get a lot of positive feedback. The students that take this are usually advanced students and are taking it to free up time in their schedules," Trent said.

"To me, it's just a really good cooperative relationship with the camp and the public schools. Our goal is for the students to stay healthy for a lifetime and we look for those opportunities to plug them in."

Instructor for the course, Pratt, said that he hope the students get different experiences from the course, an introductions of all that the area has to offer.

"The course is going well," he said. It takes a lot of energy. It provides them with different experiences than during the school year. It gets them outside."