Message from Executive Director Margot Harrigan
In the next few weeks, teachers and parents will be working hard planning for next year. There are still many unknowns and many, many contingencies to consider; I do not envy our wonderful administrators and teachers the challenges they are coping with and the decisons that need to be made.
Remember that being outdoors for even a few minutes a day - be it at school or at home - makes a huge difference. Mental health and well being are as important as educational goals and physical well being, and possibly more important in times of stress. Right now, outdoors is the best place to be: to enjoy nature, to reduce stress and to minimize possible exposure to viruses.
Although schools may be considering stricter guidelines for now, I will persevere in my advocacy for continued outdoor learning with Living Classroom. Living Classroom delivers hands-on, standards aligned lessons that also provide a much needed respite from the isolation of a classroom or distance learning environment. Living Classroom is working diligently to “re-imagine” (I love that word!) all of our lessons to determine what is doable and practical with the restrictions we will be facing. Our instructional team is resourceful, creative and, most importantly, optimistic and enthusiastic for the possibilities of what we can do. Of course, Living Classroom will continue to assess the parameters of the current health crisis and use this information to dictate the changing shape of our education program.
In an article in the CAELI newsletter this month, Celeste Royer (director of environmental education at the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education) states it perfectly: “Students are more engaged when taught in outdoor settings. This increases the amount of time they are on-task, which deepens their comprehension of the science and environmental concepts presented. This depth of learning along with their enthusiasm can also transfer to other disciplines such as language arts, mathematics, and social science."
Do visit Living Classroom’s For Parents page on our website with many ideas for activities and resources, including videos of some of our lesson activities.
Please, stay safe and healthy! We look forward to seeing our students and teachers again soon!
Remember that being outdoors for even a few minutes a day - be it at school or at home - makes a huge difference. Mental health and well being are as important as educational goals and physical well being, and possibly more important in times of stress. Right now, outdoors is the best place to be: to enjoy nature, to reduce stress and to minimize possible exposure to viruses.
Although schools may be considering stricter guidelines for now, I will persevere in my advocacy for continued outdoor learning with Living Classroom. Living Classroom delivers hands-on, standards aligned lessons that also provide a much needed respite from the isolation of a classroom or distance learning environment. Living Classroom is working diligently to “re-imagine” (I love that word!) all of our lessons to determine what is doable and practical with the restrictions we will be facing. Our instructional team is resourceful, creative and, most importantly, optimistic and enthusiastic for the possibilities of what we can do. Of course, Living Classroom will continue to assess the parameters of the current health crisis and use this information to dictate the changing shape of our education program.
In an article in the CAELI newsletter this month, Celeste Royer (director of environmental education at the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education) states it perfectly: “Students are more engaged when taught in outdoor settings. This increases the amount of time they are on-task, which deepens their comprehension of the science and environmental concepts presented. This depth of learning along with their enthusiasm can also transfer to other disciplines such as language arts, mathematics, and social science."
Do visit Living Classroom’s For Parents page on our website with many ideas for activities and resources, including videos of some of our lesson activities.
Please, stay safe and healthy! We look forward to seeing our students and teachers again soon!
Living Classroom Donates to the Community During Pandemic
|
Update April, 21, 2020
Today we harvested 5 pounds of fava beans and a whopping 76 pounds of oranges. West Valley Community Services greatly appreciated the donation and noted that their demand is huge right now. Gardeners and volunteers of Living Classroom harvested vegetables from edible gardens at Campbell Union and Mountain View Whisman Schools. The total harvest from Campbell was close to 50lbs, and 23lbs from Mountain View school gardens. One community member has already reached out to our Executive Director thanking her for the Living Classroom Donation, "It is so thoughtful of you to think of us and our community who are going hungry in this pandemic. Thank you for donating to us. That is so very much appreciated." Hand Sanitizer Recipe
With school closures and growing concern about containing the spread of the coronavirus and the lack of available hand sanitizer, here is a recipe you can easily make today. 2/3cup Isopropyl Alcohol or Everclear Grain Alcohol 1/3cup Pure Aloe Vera Gel 8-10 drops of essential oil (lavender, clove, cinnamon, and peppermint provide additional antiseptic properties) Mix the alcohol and aloe together until smooth, add the essential oil then use a funnel to place it into your preferred bottle. For more information go to the following link. |
Subscribe to Our NewsletterNewsletter Archive
|