I always feel honored to take part in thesis and dissertation research. I participated in Steph N. Dean’s dissertation, “A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Teachers Who Implement Outdoor/Environmental Education within a K-12 Setting,” at George Mason University. A particular delight was that she created poetry based on her interviews; here’s mine, “They Are Naturally in Awe”:

It's really amazing

No matter whether it's summer camp,

or my school year group,

when we go on these hikes

and get to a crest,

the kids

just

stop

they take off their backpacks

and they're like,

"Ooooh."

We can look over at the bay

and the city

The kids just stop and stare

They don't need to be taught to appreciate a view,

they are naturally in awe of the beauty.

It’s overwhelming.

I like to take pictures

from behind them,

of them having this awe moment.

She crafted the poem for Chapter Ten: “A Collective Joy and Wonder.” Steph created an infograph of her findings for me to share:

Enrollment

Now enrolling!

-Remainder of the 2022 - 2023 school year (last deadline is TODAY -2/14/23- for a 3/1/23 start),

-2023 - 2024 school year.

As of February 2, my 2023 summer camp is sold out!

For more information, please go to www.outside.school:

Site: Outside School Front Page

Nature News

This Winter has been wet! The hills are green, and water runs in little rivulets everywhere. I’ve been teaching in Alvarado Park/Wildcat Canyon since 2019, and it’s never been soaked like this. It’s fantastic! I made a little introduction to our mornings at Outside School and our Wildcat Creek watershed:

While the kids are away, the birds will play! The children were off exploring a tree, and Dark Eyed Juncos came and explored the area where we put our things! (Note- we do not feed the birds. We're very careful to clean up even the smallest crumbs.)

*Outside School students share information on the animal tracks we found in the mud.*

*Traffic jam! Two cows have mo(o)ved in while we were playing peacefully, so we watched our step on our way out of the park.*

Inspiration and Resources

“What’s up, Richmond!?”

Check out this mailer from Multicultural Bookstore and Gifts, which lists SO MUCH Richmond, CA awesomeness- resources, books, events, courses, and more!

Mailer: What's up, Richmond!?

Vaccines in Richmond!

From the City of Richmond:

Flu & COVID-19 Mobile Vaccine Events in February

Walk-Ins are Always Welcome

Omicron Boosters

Available Vaccines Include: Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax

The vaccine is Free regardless of your immigration or health insurance status

Upcoming Dates & Location:

Saturday, February 18th, 11:00 AM- 3:30PM: Glo Independent Living: 145 6th St. Richmond, CA 94801

Tuesday, February 21st, 3:30 PM -7:00 PM: San Pablo Library. 13751 San Pablo Ave, San Pablo, CA 94806

Thursday, February 23rd, 10:00 AM -12:00 PM: Richmond MultiCultural Institute: 3600 Macdonald Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804

Why Am I Rude?

Students recite a poem in this video, explaining so much about children’s internal voices:

SEMH Video 'Why I am rude’

Speaking of mental health-

I recently learned that Kaiser members, using Kaiser’s website, can access a year of upgraded membership to the Calm app, along with other mental health benefits. Check it out!

Also, learn how Hailey Hardcastle is advocating for student mental health by getting states to sign into law the ability for parents to call in their students’ mental health days. Oregon’s already done it! Here’s her TEDxSalem talk:

Video: Why students should have mental health days

Schoolyard Love

Are you someone who works at a traditional school? If so, check out this Valentine’s Day project to learn what your students think about their schoolyard:

Valentine’s Day: Love Your Grounds & Green Your Heart

Willow Project

Wouldn’t it be amazing if the United States of America could call an end to oil drilling? It would assist every community faced with individual fights to protect their lands. Oil companies would finally need to find ways to work with ecosystems and the humans inhabiting them, not against them. From the NDN Collective Newsletter I receive, “ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project is the single largest proposed oil extraction project currently threatening our public lands. We are standing in solidarity with the local community of Nuisqut who are urging President Biden to halt the project for good. 38 Indigenous led organizations have submitted a letter to the Biden Administration in opposition to the Willow Project . We encourage supporters of climate justice to tweet at @POTUS and urge the admin to #STOPWILLOW.”