Happy August, Seattle!
In honor of the summer and in preparation for our upcoming 2016-2017 school year I thought I’d share a few photos of Madrona K-8’s last outing of the year. In June, before school got out, some 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders made the trip to Vashon Island’s Point Robinson Park to explore the shoreline.
Though our ferry to Vashon was delayed, we spent our wait time learning a bit about tides and playing games. The ferry ride itself was a hit, of course!
The beach was beautiful, with an epic view of Mt Rainier.
At the beach we did a scavenger hunt and saw crabs, geoducks, barnacles, snails and more. One of our students told us that even though he was initially scared, holding a purple shore crab in his hands was the highlight of the trip! Providing a space for students to experience new things outside of their comfort zones is one of my favorite things about ICO. Something as simple as holding a small but live and wild crab can be a powerful experience.
Other beach-goers had built structures out of driftwood that our students loved exploring.
Some of our students were so inspired that they decided to build a driftwood hut of their own. Nothing like a little construction work to bring a team together!
My favorite moment of the day was when I noticed a student sitting off by herself in the sand. Worried that she was upset or sad, I went over to sit next to her.
“How’s it going?” I asked.
“This sand is made up of tiny rocks!” She exclaimed joyfully, “It’s so beautiful! Look at this one!” She proceeded to show off her collection of tiny sand grains – smooth black pebbles, shiny quartz crystals, and fragments of shells.
This trip, and this moment in particular, epitomized for me why I volunteer for ICO – if they are given the opportunity, kids are full of curiosity and wonder about the natural world. A simple trip to the beach with some dedicated time to explore lets students experience new things and made awesome discoveries about the world around them. (Of course good weather and tasty snacks always help, too.)
Here’s hoping you have had some great beach trips of your own this summer!
Angie Boysen