Minimester
Minimester
Our Minimester trips are developed to be short, intensive academic sessions that step outside the standard daily timetable and give students immersive, high-impact learning experiences in different locations arranged by grade levels.
The primary purposes of our Minimester trips include:
- Real-World & Experiential Learning: Moves education beyond traditional lectures through hands-on projects, field experience that includes: guest speakers, community service, and real-world problem-solving in different locations from the school building and in most grade levels, different locations outside of Richmond, Virginia.
- Community & Relationship Building: Encourages collaboration across each grade level to help foster stronger bonds between students. This is also a great opportunity for staff to engage in relationship building with students outside the regular classroom dynamic.
- Engagement & Culture Shift: Breaks up the routine of the academic calendar, boosting engagement and school spirit through a dynamic, high-energy change of pace. This tradition is mandatory for grade levels to get to full experience of being a pharaoh and to learn what it means to be global citizens. These trips give our students the opportunity to explore new environments, gain real-world experience, and build adaptability alongside their peers.
The Freshman Minimester is a treasured tradition and a required activity for all students at RCHS. During the week of April 20-24, 2026, all ninth-grade students departed from our school for a week of camping, history, and ecological studies on the Chesapeake Bay. Students experienced valuable hands-on learning, made new friendships, practiced leadership, and built independence and confidence.
Here’s the initial letter for the 2027 Sophomore Minimester. Please see Mrs. Humphries with any questions.
During the week of April 19-22, 2027, the sophomore class will visit Charlotte, NC. This year's trip will focus on college tours, Civil Rights, and STEM activities. Students will have the opportunity to boost their academic knowledge, sharpen their social skills, further develop their leadership skills, and strengthen bonds with their peers.
Sophomore Minimester Custom Payment
In April 2026, the Junior class and their sponsors visited Maryland and Pennsylvania. Highlights of the trip included zip-lining at Terrapin Adventures, touring Towson and Temple Universities, enjoying lunch at Reading Terminal Market, and visiting The Penn Museum.
In April 2026, the seniors spend their Minimester week locally involved in activities that promote good citizenship and encourage senior bonding. For the 2026 Minimester, seniors spent one day painting canvases of their college and career choices. They bonded over golf and lunch at Top Golf another day. Another day we travelled to the VA War Memorial to speak to a panel of Vietnam veterans (after reading The Things They Carried in AP Lit class). On the final day of Minimester, seniors received their caps, gowns, and yearbooks and enjoyed some nostalgic moments.
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The Freshman Minimester is a treasured tradition and a required activity for all students at RCHS. During the week of April 20-24, 2026, all ninth-grade students departed from our school for a week of camping, history, and ecological studies on the Chesapeake Bay. Students experienced valuable hands-on learning, made new friendships, practiced leadership, and built independence and confidence.
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Here’s the initial letter for the 2027 Sophomore Minimester. Please see Mrs. Humphries with any questions.
During the week of April 19-22, 2027, the sophomore class will visit Charlotte, NC. This year's trip will focus on college tours, Civil Rights, and STEM activities. Students will have the opportunity to boost their academic knowledge, sharpen their social skills, further develop their leadership skills, and strengthen bonds with their peers.
Sophomore Minimester Custom Payment
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In April 2026, the Junior class and their sponsors visited Maryland and Pennsylvania. Highlights of the trip included zip-lining at Terrapin Adventures, touring Towson and Temple Universities, enjoying lunch at Reading Terminal Market, and visiting The Penn Museum.
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In April 2026, the seniors spend their Minimester week locally involved in activities that promote good citizenship and encourage senior bonding. For the 2026 Minimester, seniors spent one day painting canvases of their college and career choices. They bonded over golf and lunch at Top Golf another day. Another day we travelled to the VA War Memorial to speak to a panel of Vietnam veterans (after reading The Things They Carried in AP Lit class). On the final day of Minimester, seniors received their caps, gowns, and yearbooks and enjoyed some nostalgic moments.