Verdant
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:
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!
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:
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:
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:
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.”
Take care,
Heather
Heather Taylor, EMT
Founder/Director/Teacher, Outside School (www.outside.school)
Founder, Teach Outside (www.teachoutside.org)
California Master Teacher
I ❤️ Chris Hadfield!
Connect
Feel free to forward to anyone you like!