Explorer West News and Notes

Going Nordic with Dead Bugs, Wedges, Cold Solos -- and Lots of Laughs

2009-02-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

We at Explorer West are ever more amazed at how adept 7^th graders are at cross-country skiing. They have the perfect blend of budding coordination; let’s “just do it” hunger for learning, and a whatever attitude about falling.

This seventh grade is setting a high mark with their quick progress. Despite crunchy (icy and hard) conditions for the first two weeks, they are moving quickly through the basics of Dead Bug (rotating while on your back to get your skis downhill and under you after a fall), diagonal striding (the classic kick and glide), and a variety of turns (step, kick, wedge).

Their prowess at gaining skills quickly lets us get right to the real business of backcountry travel. They are heading out snowy tracks around Mount Catherine to log miles, take in snowy beauty, share a trail lunch, have council talks, and sit solo.

Explorer West borrowed the council talk from Native Americans. All students speak to a meaningful topic or question, but one at a time. Everyone else listens. No interruptions. Explorer West students never fail with their honesty and insights.

The solo sit is also a fixture in our backpacking program, where students will sit (safely monitored at a distance by adult trip leaders) to journal (or not) and think (or not). The idea is to be quiet and alone in nature, humbled by our wee spot in the universe – and glad to be there. A solo snow sit has the added value of the profound silence offered by sound dampening crystals. Plus, there is the confidence that you can get yourself there and back, safe and warm.

Congrats to Kirt, our Outdoor Ed director, for his careful communications with the avalanche beset Summit Nordic Center, for helping to formalize our Nordic skills and learning sequence, and for bringing in Morgan Miller, instructor extraordinaire.

We are grateful for the assistance of all the EW parents who joined us for our Nordic days. Special thanks to Karl “Knut” Guntheroth, an alumni parent and expert skier. Knut knows the snow, and knows that fun in the snow is a combo of adequate skill and plenty of laughs.

That’s how we roll in the snow.

Bjorn (Ben)

Our Trip Up To the Mountains

2009-01-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

by Autumn, 6th grade
We went out on our homemade snowshoes, and we went through a lot of stopping to fix our snowshoes and add modifications. We managed not to destroy our snowshoes, but we took them off at lunchtime and played a lot of games. We played Camouflage; you play with one person it and the other people get 20 seconds to run and hide. The person who is "it" cannot move from the place that he or she is in. The people who hide must be able to see the person who is "it". The person calls the people in witch they see getting the people out.

My friend and I built a house in the snow. We did this by accident when we fell into a really really deep tree well. We dug it out a little more, and we put a tarp over it, and we had a nice little snow house under ground.

We also went sledding down little hills on tarps and bags. We went flying down the hills rolling and laughing and slamming into the snow at the end. We found a few big hills where we went really fast, especially on my tarp. We also played run and scream. We play this by running as far as you can scream. When you stop screaming, you stop. The person who can run the farthest wins. I lost!
My friend and I kept getting stuck in postholes and I got pretty wet by the end of the day! Kristin showed us how to use compasses, and we played some games with them. I found out that compasses are pretty handy and a pretty easy to use. But we need some practice!
On our way back, we took off our snowshoes and went sledding on a hug hill. My tarp went so fast! We even made a little jump for our sledding, but it did not work. Next week we will be building snow caves.

Sixth Graders Begin Building Their Snowshoes

2008-12-02T08:54:00.001-08:00

One of the most exciting things about building the snowshoes is that the students are exposed to many different tools and skills. With a solid plan under their belts, the 6th graders have begun the process of assembling their 2008-2009 snowshoes. They began last week with the bindings which involved cutting the fabric and using a punch and grommet set. The buckles were sewn to the laces with a needle and thread, and they used a drill insert the "crampon" screws through the fabric and metal plate.

This week Kirt gave a presentation on the native willow being used for the frame, and then the students went outside to trim the branches off the whips. Several brave families took the whips home to soak overnight in bathtubs filled with warm water and biodegradeable fabric softener. Today the bending and shapin gof the frames begins...

World Religions in 6th Grade Ancient Civilizations

2008-11-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

One goal of the Ancient Civilizations” social studies sequence at Explorer West Middle School is basic literacy in world religions. While there is no prayer or promotion of any particular religion at Explorer West, we believe it is valuable for students to gain basic knowledge around the practices and beliefs of different religions. Public schools are often hesitant to venture into comparative religions because of controversy over the separation of church and state provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

Religions guide some of humanity’s highest aspirations to ethical behavior, as well as giving rise to remarkable art, music, and dance. Of course, religion has also been at the heart of conflict at many times in history.

In order to give students an insider’s perspective, Kumar’s mom, Rinku, visited the 6^th grade to share the artifacts and rituals of puja (worship) in Hinduism. Students viewed artifacts and icons representing different deities, and the class ended with them enjoying traditional sweets.

As the 6^th graders study civilizations from different continents, they explore world religions originating in those regions. Beginning with Paleolithic cave art connected to Cro-Magnon hunter-gatherers, students examine the purposes, symbols, and rituals of religious practice. Major religions covered in this Ancient Civilizations course include Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Taoism, and Confucianism.

One of the important and typical realizations for students in our study of world religions is that, although diverse in their outward expression and organizations, religions have more in common than not. Also, it usually comes as a surprise to students that Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all share the same god, as well as the succession of Old Testament prophets. Religion, one of humanity's common roots, deserves careful exploration.

Thanks to Rinku for making the mysteries of Hindu puja less mysterious!

Fall Waste Audit

2008-11-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

Good news from this year's fall waste audit. Seattle residents and businesses compost and recycle 40% of their total waste. Explorer West composts and recycles almost 60%! But, that's still not good enough, so each advisory has come up with strategies for improvement and acted these out at an assembly.

A big issue identified from this year's audit was that 75% of the compost was food that was still edible (half a sandwich, an apple, etc.). Students suggested that they could bring that food home or save it for the next lunch. Another idea was for students to pack their own lunch so they could bring just what they knew they would eat.

Another highlight includes a decrease in overall garbage weight from 16 lbs. per day last fall to 9.5 lbs. this year. That's a 40% reduction!!!

Our next waste audit is scheduled for late winter.

Weeding and Juggling in the New Native Plants Garden!

2008-09-22T12:14:00.001-07:00

Last spring saw the completion of the Native Plants Garden, a class gift and "labor of love" from the graduating class of 2008. Thanks to Andi (Dakota's mom) for organizing a summer watering crew, the young plants flourished and look great!
Weeds also blossomed, so Ben's advisees wasted no time, earning Jolly Ranchers for their weeding prowess.

Ben's advisees gloat over a heap of vanquished weeds.

Students have quickly discovered that the garden is great for...

READING!

LUNCHING!

JUGGLING JUICE BOXES!

Come see for yourself!

Fall Outdoor Trips a Sunny Success!

2008-09-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

In addition to launching classes and advisory groups, the first week of school witnessed waterproofing of boots, pitching tents, lighting stoves, checking gear, and hilarious (but always informative!) "Leave No Trace" camping skits. Detailed preparation paid off when the whole school departed in separate ways.

The 6th graders camped at Fort Worden on the Olympic Peninsula, exploring the tidelands, forests, and decommissioned military bunkers. Our youngest middle schoolers proved themselves able campers and camp chefs!

Three separate 7th grade backpacking groups entered the Alpine Lakes Wilderness at different trail heads, including Lake Melakwa, Lake Dorothy, and Snow Lake. They navigated switchbacks and swatted mosquitoes with equal measures of intensity and good humor, and savored high lakes in glorious weather.

Two 8th grade groups backpacked the shoulders of Mt. Rainier, exploring Glacier Basin and Owhyhigh Lakes for world famous views of the mountain, plus mountain goats, marmots, deer, pika -- and bears! These first two weeks of school set a high standard for an exciting and productive school year.

Our thanks and congratulations go out to new Outdoor Education Director, Kirt Hodges, for a job well done. The Outdoor Ed leadership shoes are big ones to fill after Kristin's founding of this banner program and more than a decade of her guiding hand!

8th Grade Awash in Nature on the Olympic Coast!

2008-06-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

A rare break in the clouds offered this silvery sunset
on the Olympic Coast.

EW students experienced the full force and beauty of nature during last week's spring trips. Meticulous pre-trip gear checks paid off, as nature did not fail to provide fair challenge. On and off during the week, heavy rains inundated the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound areas where the 6th, 7th, ad 8th grade spring trips took place.

The 6th performed trail work on Cypress Island in the San Juans, while the 7th graders maintained trails on the Big Quilcene River on the east slope of the Olympic Mountains.

Hiking between 4 and 10 miles each day, in three separate groups the 8th graders backpacked the pristine Olympic Coast between the Ozette River on the North and Rialto Beach on the South.

The 8th grade trip is no "walk in the park." Hiking the rugged Olympic Coast entails miles of rock hopping and scrambling over headlands. Rainfall made for extra slippery footing this year.

Campfires, rope swings, and abundant wildlife
provided fun and surprises.

A doe and her newborn fawn walked the stretch of beach between the surf and driftwood where students sat in quiet reflection, journaling.

Outdoor education remains a central component of Explorer West's mission. These trips take great effort on the part of staff and students, from careful preparation (thanks go to parents for much of this!) to everyone's best intentions and exertions out in the field. Nature the teacher provides a tremendous range of lessons for our students: independence and team spirit, physical trial and accomplishment, self-sufficiency and collaboration, and last but not least, adolescent drama and comedy on the stage of nature.

The only"trace" left by the class of 2008 is now erased by tides.
A fresh beach awaits the class of 2009.

UW Jackson School of International Studies Visits 8th Grade Global Studies

2008-05-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

The 8th grade has been studying governance and global economics. Yes, they know all about the WTO, IMF, WB, UN Millennium Development Goals, outsourcing, micro-lending, fair trade, and arguments for and against globalized economics!

To add a sense of the great academic, service, travel, and employment opportunities awaiting them outside the walls of the Global Studies classroom, on Thursday, May 8, the 8th grade class enjoyed a blast of higher education from four students from the University of Washington's Jackson School of International Studies.

This energetic and well-informed quartet of political science students broke the students into three groups to study apparel, mining, and coffee industries in Guatemala. Our visitors had all traveled to Guatemala to study last summer.
Studying statistics, first hand accounts, and photographs, our students learned about the hazards and limitations of marginal employment, and the struggles of labor organizers in Guatemala. They also explored solutions to be pursued here in the U.S. Finally, each of the three groups presented a poster outlining issues and solutions for the class.

The class ended with 8th graders asking questions to learn more about the wide world of study and career opportunities awaiting them in global affairs and the growing green economy.

Connor designed a lovely thank you card for the class to sign, and Ben heard back from one Jackson School student that she was so inspired by their level of engagement, enthusiasm and intelligence that was now redirecting herself towards teaching. Well done, 8th grade!

Bella Roma!

2008-03-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what you can see during a week in Rome! The annual 8th grade trip lucked out this year with fantastic weather, so we were out and about all day every day. Maripat did an excellent job of preparing the students for the trip in their Latin classes! Each student researched a different landmark and gave a presentation to the class. Petyr, Virgil, Kristin and Mr. Hundley also contributed their expertise to the success of the trip.

After a long flight, the excitement was palpable as we drove into Rome, and students recognized places like the Colliseum and Palatine Hill. We unpacked at the hotel and then set out to get our bearings and visit the Pantheon. After an early dinner (most Romans sit down for an evening meal around 8pm) and gelato, we meandered back to the hotel to hunker down and try to get some sleep.

Bright and early (VERY early for those with a bit of jet lag) Monday morning we set out for the Piazza Navona to meet our Ancient Rome tour guide. The colorful piazza, a former site for ancient Roman games, came alive as we waited surrounded by Bernini sculptures, local artists, and the stunning Church of St. Agnes in Agone. The tour was a mixture of very old (the Forum), old (the Trevi Fountain), and modern (HUGE jars of Nutella). We also visited the Palatine Hill, where the Roman elite made their homes and played soccer and frisbee in the Circus Maximus.

Day 2 included many more sites including a trip to the Colliseum, St. Peter in Chains, more soccer and frisbee above the Domus Aurea, gelato and delicious food.

On Day 3 we divided into our smaller groups and explored the city while slowly making our way toward the Vatican. Each group chose different things, some of which included visiting Hadrian's Mausoleum, exploring churches, and shopping at open markets. The afternoon tour of the Vatican Museum was highlighted by seeing the Sistine Chapel followed by a visit to St. Peter's Basilica. Jerick climbed the steps to the very top of the Cupola to take in the view of Rome and the Tiber.

Thursday we took a bus tour to the ancient seaport ruins of Ostia Antica where we got to see how the "real" ancient people lived. We saw the remains of ancient baths, a fire station, burial sites and a well built directly in the middle of the ancient road. Back in the city, we walked to the Capitoline Hill Museum. We also tested our honesty at the Boca Della Verita: legend has it that the mouth of this ancient manhole cover will close on the hand of a liar. Everyone in our group returned with two hands.

For our final day, we walked to the Spanish Steps, spent time on the grounds of the Villa Borghese and visited the Borghese Museum.

After somefinal gift buying and an early supper, we made one last trip to the Trevi Fountain: one coin to return to Rome, two coins to find love in Rome and three coins to live in Rome.

2008-01-16T19:44:00.000-08:00

7th Grade Makes Fast Tracks (in the snow)

When it snows one inch in Seattle that can mean a foot up at Snoqualmie Pass. With record snowfall already this year, the 6th graders hiked into the fluffy stuff with their homemade snowshoes, the 8th graders shredded Snoqualmie Summit with alpine skis and snowboards, and the 7th grade brought their natural talents to Nordic skiing. Those would be attitude, fearlessness, style, and smiles.

For their first outing of the 2007 Explorer West outdoor education season, the 7th grade had both snow and sun aplenty. Nordic names were assigned on the bus, then 7th grade spirit took over. They matched the blessings of nature with gusto and attitude that only 7th graders can muster. Here's Dagrun wondering, "So what's so hard about slithering about on ice atop flimsy little sticks?"

They tolerated faculty attempts at instruction well, and then cooked it their own way. One essential ingredient is always fearlessness, and willingness to fall, as demonstrated by Asta.

The next ingredient is style. You can't lose with Leopard mittens, as Magnus shows us.

It is always wise to accessorize with a viking hat, like Lars. Nobody messes with vikings. Would you mess with this guy?

Friendship and camaraderie are perhaps the most important ingredients. That's what will carry us through whatever the next three weeks of Nordic adventure bring. Asta, Axel, and Brigitta bring smiles.

Native Plants Garden Takes Root!

2007-11-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

Explorer West's Award Winning Sustainability Initiative lives on with a NEW NATIVE PLANTS GARDEN!

Last year, in October of 2006, our students planted 25 trees on campus, including an inauspicious circle of eight maple trees just south of the upper parking lot and west of the gym (see photo to left). Thanks to students' (and parents'!) tender loving care (planting, mulching, weeding, and watering), all 25 trees survived their first summer.

In the fall of this year the entire student body and faculty voted on student designs for a native plants garden. Dakota's design won for its star shaped layout and ambitious plant choices.

Supervised by Westside School parent and professional landscaper Matt Stanowich, with help from our David (drama) and Eric (PE), the garden plot was rototilled and composted in preparation for planting. Hardscrabble was transformed into welcoming and rich soil beds.

Every EW student participated in the planting, watering and mulching of native plant starters secured from local nurseries and the Seattle Arboretum -- whose knowing Master Gardeners have been generous with advice and donated plants. Our planting spree was just in time to beat the first frost. This fall planting gives the tender young plants winter months to settle and take root in anticipation of spring warmth and new growth.

Keep an eye out for soon-to-come permeable pathways and benches!

It's Snowshoe Time!

2007-11-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

The Sixth Graders are once again designing and building their own snowshoes for use at Snoqualmie Pass in January. Under the tutelage of Cascade Designs Winter Products Manager, Lee Getzewich, students brainstormed various snowshoe features and narrowd down their design by testing different qualities. This year's design will focus on choosing materials for how well they hold up under pressure, tension, and shear as well as in cold and wet conditions.

8th Graders Test Buildings for Earthquake Resistance

2007-11-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

The 8th grade science students culminated their study of Earthquakes today by testing their "buildings" on a shake table. Using what they had learned about building shape, mass distribution, and friction, teams competed to design a the tallest structure that would sustain a powerful earthquake. After each test, the class rated the amount of damage using the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. The winning building was over 6 feet tall! This activity connected this year's sustainability theme of "Structure" with the earth science curriculum.

Pinwheels for Peace at Explorer West

2007-09-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

On September 21, 2007 -- United Nations International Day of Peace -- Explorer West Students made pinwheels-for-peace, and installed them on the fence adjacent to our school parking lot.

We joined over 1,000,000 students from around the world who make and displayed pinwheels. Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by two Art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan from Coconut Creek, Florida. It was created as a way for students to express their feelings about whats going on in the world and in their lives.

Explorer West students created pinwheels and wrote their thoughts about war and peace, tolerance, and living in harmony with others on one side. On the other side, students drew to visually express their feelings. They assembled these pinwheels, and on International Day of Peace, Sept. 21, 2007, they planted their pinwheels outside as a public statement, and as an art installation.

The spinning of the pinwheels in the wind will spread thoughts and feelings about peace throughout the country and the world!

Mr. "H" Urges Students Towards the Zone

2007-09-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

It's official! In The Zone is in the house!

Today Mr. "H" introduced the entire student body to a tool that students, teachers, and parents can use to maximize their growth, productivity, and performance. "In the Zone" is a method Mr. "H" has employed extensively in his many years of teaching and coaching tennis.

All Mr. "H" asks is that every student commit to becoming more aware of where they are in the scheme of the "Zone" as they face challenges, and try to cope appropriately.

If you are "Tanking" you have simply given up before you even tried. Your fears and low confidence kept you from stepping up to the challenge, whatever it was. At this point it might be good to get some perspective on the source of your fear. Seek advice, support, and clarification. You deserve it. Then try a fresh start.

If you are in "Anger" you have been overwhelmed by frustration. There is no point in beating your head against the wall. Take a break. Do something you will like better, or feel more confident with. Then, when your anger has subsided, try the challenge again.

If you are "Choking" you have momentarily dropped the ball due to pressure. But pressure is a good thing that can call up our best effort, as well as creativity and new angles. You came to play, and did so, even if you were not entirely successful. Ultimately, you will need to show renewed commitment. When you choke, just admit it and move on. We all make mistakes. Our best moment may follow.

The "Zone" is where we all want to be, and where we hope most of our students will be frequently by the end of the school year. When you are in the zone you are prepared and confident, even hungry for challenge. This is when you at the top of your game. When in the zone in class you produce exemplary work -- and then seek extra credit. Or, you might help a classmate, taking your zone to a whole different level.

Experiment with this at home, work and school. Pay each other respect for trying to be "In The Zone."

6th Grade Geography and Ancient Civilizations Classes Explore Cave Art

2007-09-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

According to the geological record, the earliest fossilized record of bacteria, a sign of life from the Precambrian era, is 3.5 billion years old. Spiders started showing up much later, just 400 million years ago. Lucy, the oldest upright, bipedal who seemed more human than ape, lived just 50 million years ago.

But hey, we’ve got the woolly mammoth beat! They were late to the show, arriving a mere two million years ago – barely yesterday in geological time.

Using Larry Gonick’s Cartoon History of the Universe and a variety of supplemental sources on archaeological method, cave art, early religion, and the roots of language, the 6^th grade has been exploring how humans came to be so complex in so little time – geologically speaking.

You can admire original 6th grade cave art (pastels on crumpled paper!) in the hallway. This display features hands – one of the most common motifs in Cro-Magnon’s Ice Age artistry. These hands – traced, stenciled, and drawn throughout caves 10 to 20 thousand years ago – appeared across the globe, from the Americas to Europe, Africa, and the South Pacific. What did these ancestors of ours intend? Worship? Ritual? Signature? The hunt? Control? Graffiti?

Cave art seems to be a combination of narrative (story), ritual, and symbolic language. These markings tried to say something in an organized fashion, perhaps to give a challenging Ice Age existence meaning and hope.

What language will our students leave for the future? Part of our mission at Explorer West is to give students the tools to envision and work towards a lasting future. The past is a rich place to start.

7th graders experience true Northwest weather at Snow Lake

2007-09-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

The 7th graders learned a ton about packing and being prepared for the weather on their trip to Snow Lake. They also found out that teamwork, cooperation and a positive attitude are good things to bring along on a backpacking trip.

We left the Alpental parking lot, elevation 3100 feet, at 11:40 am in overcast but dry weather. It took almost 2 hours to get a mile and a half gaining only about 7 or 8 hundred feet in altitude. There we stopped for lunch and put on our rain gear as the wet stuff started to come down from above. Motivated by the rain to cover some ground, the hikers made the next steep section (900 feet of altitude in about half a mile) in around and hour. From there it was all down hill.

We reached Snow Lake around 3:30. All were a little damp and very tired. We found a fairly dry camp site that would fit us and the kids had their tents up in no time, avoiding a pretty good shower that drenched anything not already wet from the day.The campers cooperated to make dinner and stay warm and dry. By morning the rain had let up, though it was foggy and damp.

We made a day hike to Gem Lake at 4900 feet where the students ate lunch, did some writing in their journals and an art project. They also learned a good lesson about leaving no trace on the clean up from lunch. The 2.5 mile hike back to camp took and hour and 40 minutes.

The highlight of the day was a silent hike down to the lake shore once back in camp. The kids sat quietly at the edge of Snow Lake for close to an hour. Later in the day we reflected on that time and students saw the value of experiencing "awesome nature" up close and in person.

The second night we were mostly dry at lights out - and despite a downpour in the middle of the night and some pretty fridgid temperatures, we awoke to blue sky. We broke camp after breakfast and discussed what we had learned about hiking together and taking less breaks. The hiking time on the way out was two hours and ten minutes, quite an improvement from the first day.

6th grade at Fort Worden

2007-09-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

The 6th grade class experienced front-country camping at Port Townsend's Fort Worden State Park this fall. Highlights included a 3 AM tidepooling-by-flashlight experience, a hands-on invertebrates class at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, and of course, exploring the bunkers and getting to know new classmates. This trip was Mr. Hundley's initiation into the world of EW outdoor education and was also the second trip led by alumni Willi Sears ('99). Students also performed community service in the form of litter patrol. Our good deeds and enthusiasm didn't go unnoticed as six different people made an effort to come over from their motor homes to congratulate us on how well behaved and enthusiastic the students were - even when it was pouring rain!

Outdoor Ed Trips: Big Fun in the Fall!

2007-09-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last week students returned safe and happy from the first round of '07 Outdoor Ed trips: 6th grade to Camp Worden on the Olympic Peninsula, 7th grade to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and the 8th grade to Mt. Rainier.

This blog is a quick summary of the 8th grade trips, with photos from Ben and Meghan's group at Summerland. Each of three groups hiked 2-4 miles from separate trail heads to alpine sites just above the tree line with views on the shoulders of 14,410 ft. Mt Rainier.

Each hiker carries all they need in order to be warm and safe, in addition to substantial group gear and food. Hiking and camping leadership rotates so that all may share the responsibility of decision-making and looking out for the group.Typical activities over the three day trip include student-made gourmet dining (such as hot oatmeal breakfast, cheese and bagel lunches, and pasta dinner), day-hiking, glaciation journals, drama games, nature watching, storytelling, and council style discussions.

In addition to hearing an elk bugle (it's the fall rutting season), groups spotted mountain goats, deer, a bear, plus innumerable squirrels, chipmunks, pika ("eepers"), and marmots.

Fall at Mt. Rainier can bring all sorts of weather, and it did! After sunny mornings the clouds rolled in. There were rain and snow showers, proving the need for warm and waterproof layers.

One of the trips even featured application of henna tattoos by Explorer West's trip guide (and administrative assistant) Meghan Harris!

No trip is complete without ice cream on the way home!

Thanks to unflappable Outdoor Ed Queen Kristin Moore, intrepid trip guides, supportive parents, and willing students for making the fall trips successful. Exacting gear checks, dramatic Leave No Trace skits, and "I'll try" spirits all paid off.

We can all look forward to getting out again this winter for snowshoeing, x-country skiing, and alpine slope fun!

Explorer West Sustainability Initiative – Year Three!

2007-09-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Last school year, 2006-2007, was the second year of the Explorer West Sustainability Initiative. We enjoyed campus wide progress in the form of green advisories, curriculum integration around the theme of “family”, and our third annual sustainability festival.

The Sustainability Initiative brought Explorer West regional honors in the form of the King County Earth Hero Award, as well as national recognition through the National Association of Independent School’s Leading Edge award for environmental sustainability.

For the present school year, 2007-2008, we intend to deepen our understanding and practice of sustainability. After all, it is this current generation of students whose careers and lives will sway our success with major issues such as global warming.

Already this year, in addition to preparation for fall trips and regular classes, significant new efforts have taken place to further the Sustainability Initiative. During August In-Service sessions, the faculty benefited from the expertise of Kim Bernier and Dave Wilton from Facing the Future. Kim and Dave led the faculty through a history of sustainability education and core concepts.

With impressive team spirit the faculty also arrived upon Sustainable Design and Structure as the theme for 2007-2008. We helped each other get a jump on this by brainstorming possible curriculum and projects around this theme in each subject area.

Then, in the first two weeks of school, in advisory students completed a set of core lessons on sustainability. They mapped ecological footprints, defined and analyzed the sustainability of objects and activities, explored how global issues are interconnected, played systems thinking games, and envisioned what a spaceship would need to survive for thousands of years as a closed system. We intend for our students to be the architects of a bright future for this planet – which is also a closed system, gaining nothing from outside except for solar energy.

Each advisory also spent over three hours conducting audits on either garbage, recycling, energy or water use at Explorer West. They tracked uses and logged data, then set goals and suggested methods for reducing usage, reporting their findings to the whole school. As the year evolves we will keep you posted on our progress with the “greening” of the campus.

Finally, you can look forward to the establishment of a small native plants demonstration garden in the circle of maples planted last fall just south of the upper parking lot. Students will vote on their own student-generated design of choice. Work will begin in earnest this fall so that plants can take root this winter and spring. As our garden takes shape, look for shrubs, benches, walkways…

We are happy to report that all twenty trees planted by students last spring are happy and healthy, thanks to attentive weeding, watering, and mulching by students, as well as a devoted team of families that watered the young trees over the summer.

The Sustainability Initiative is a work in progress at Explorer West. We are glad to report that, in just the first two weeks of this year we’ve seen both work and progress in substantial measure!

Coming Soon: Native Plants Garden!

Ben Wheeler, History and Global Studies

7th Grade Backpackers Partner with Washington Trails Association

2007-06-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

Outdoor education lies at the heart of the Explorer West sustainability initiative, and backpacking lies at the heart of the outdoor education program. In addition to cultivating self-reliance and teamwork, backpacking builds character and confidence. Backpacking in the rain builds lots or character, and trail work in the rain tests that character.

Is it possible to "play at work"? This was the theme of the 7th grade spring backpacking trip, a unique blend of "leave no trace" back country travel, public service to Washington's trail users, and as much singing, games, and teen fun as can possibly be had.

To launch all this, Ms. Krista Dolley, schools coordinator for the Washington Trails Association, (WTA) visited Explorer West prior to the trip to show a video about trail work and to discuss the proper use of trail tools such as the mattock, polaski, and loppers.

Then, donning WTA green safety helmets, two groups of 7th graders set off in torrential rains for four days of backpacking and trail work on US Forest Service trails along the Quilcene River on the eastern slope of the Olympic Mountains. Ben's group worked up the Lower Quilcene River, while Aurora's groups worked their way down. Together, the two groups cleared four miles of gorgeous riverside trail.

Loppers were the tool of choice, as the kids quickly learned how prolific and green the trail side growth can be in this temperate rain forest. Under a canopy of old growth cedar, hemlock, and douglass fir, intrepid young Explorer West trail workers trimmed Devils club, shrubs, and conifer saplings to clear the way for spring and summer hikers and horse riders.

Aurora, Ben, and WTA supervisors were all impressed with the kids' stamina and determination to make progress, despite incessant rain and thick undergrowth. This work goes to the heart of the Explorer West sustainability ethic: meeting our own present needs for a safe, productive, and fun backpacking trip, while ensuring that future generations of hikers can do the same on safe, clear trails.

Explorer West Celebrates Family with 2nd Annual Sustainability Festival and 10th Anniversary Party

2007-05-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Imagine the 10th birthday party of a child prodigy raised in a loving family, a person gifted with intelligence and vision far beyond their years who knows the value of kindness. This is a smart and good little person...

On Friday, April 11, 2007, the greater Explorer West Middle school community, past and present, gathered to celebrate 10 years of middle school energy and excellence, as well as a growing emphasis on sustainability. Enthusiasm and thoughtfulness were present in equal measures for this “child prodigy” school – itself now just on the brink of a promising adulthood.

Since September classes had addressed the question, what sustains families? At the festival students rotated through stations to explore projects on family, entering responses in their personal Family Matters Passport. Displays and posters captured every Explorer West family from the multiple perspectives of art, music, and books. Eighth graders produced surveys on indicators for quality of life, posting graphed data and their interpretations of data on how well different sectors of the Explorer West community are “living the good life”.

Time and attention were also devoted to those not privileged by adequate resources or a stable family. Valerie Thomas from Seattle Department of Human Services gave a talk on the plight of children living on the streets or in foster care in Seattle. Eighth grade posters on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children explored challenges faced by children around the world in the areas of labor, health, education, displacement, detention, war, and justice. Posters also highlighted solutions to these problems.

On a lighter note, in a family budgeting activity students discovered that even within the same family not everyone values the same thing. Finally, to end the afternoon, Seventh and eighth graders approached Latin perfection in two hilarious skits, We Are Family and Romans Go Home!

Then, in anticipation of the evening festivities, staff and students worked together to host over 400 guests, including former teachers, alumni and families from each of the previous ten years, as well as founding board members. Outgoing board Chair Petyr Beck introduced incoming board chair Doug Pedegana, and offered acknowledgements to Pat Preib, founding Head of School, and to Rick Marting for his two years of stellar service as interim Head of School. Incoming Head of School Evan Hundley was introduced to the community to hearty applause.

Aurora de la Cruz and Kristin Moore directed attention to each of the previous ten years of alumni in attendance and Ben Wheeler highlighted Explorer West’s dual 2007 honors for environmental sustainability: the National Association of Independent Schools Leading Edge award and the King County Earth Heroes award.

Like a child prodigy and like the goal of global sustainability, Explorer West is a remarkable work in progress. If Explorer West continues to harness the energy of youth with the foresight and long view of sustainability, the community can look forward to another ten years of uncommon middle school excellence.

8th Graders Place 5th in National Contest

2007-05-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

The Explorer West 8th grade weather forecasting team: Barite, Kyle, Christyn, Indigo, and Ally, placed fifth in a month-long national competition sponsored by Weducation, Inc. Each week the students were given a different forecast city and were tasked with forecasting the high temperature, low temperature and precitipation for that city for each day using data about climate, terrain, from satellites and more. The students also worked as a team to complete a weekly Earth Science test. Our team placed 5th overall and was the winner for the Dallas, Texas forecast week. Prizes will be awarded before the end of the year. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

King County Executive Ron Sims Honors Explorer West with Earth Heroes Award

2007-04-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

On April 19, 2007 King County Executive Ron Sims hosted regional winners of the annual Earth Hero Award at the Maple Valley Country Club. About Explorer West, Mr. Sims said, "The Sustainability Initiative integrates curriculum and experience into a unique school culture of decision and action. In the classroom, science, global studies, English and math courses all connect to the earth as an integrated system. Outdoor education includes 'leave no trace' wilderness practices, an annual Sustainability Festival, and green campus components of composting, recycling and native plant gardening."

Speaking for Explorer West, Ben credited all the teachers for participating enthusiastically in the Sustainability Initiative by integrating their curriculum around the annual theme, contributing to the sustainability festival, and guiding the green campus advisories. Ben acknowledged the pivotal role played by Kristin in founding and continuing to lead Explorer West's exemplary Outdoor Education program. It turns out that Mr. Sim's neighbors in southeast Seattle are Ben's parents. Over his wife's objections, Mr. Sim's just installed a worm bin composter in his garden (Explorer West has three!). Ben warned Sims to feed the worms -- or suffer the wrath of 80 year old Martha Wheeler, a dedicated environmentalist before the term existed!

Kristin, Aurora and Ben pose with Mr. Sims for the award photo.

For a King County link to more photos of the event:
http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/education/earth-current/index.asp

For a King County news release about the 2007 Earth Heroes Award: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/dnrp/press/2007/0417EarthHeroes.htm