Vista - The Middle School Division of Open Window School

5th Grade Spanish

2012-01-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

The Fifth Graders have been working on creating and writing a book in Spanish called, "All About Me" (Todo Acerca de Mi). To make the project more interesting, we added the goal of sharing the results with the Kindergarteners. Ms. Tauscheck's Kindergarten Class had the opportunity to join the Fifth Graders for the fun experience of having the Fifth Graders read to them. The Kindergarteners were very excited to interact with our Vista Fifth Graders, which helped inspire them by seeing what they will be able to accomplish in the future. The Fifth Graders also had a good time showcasing their Spanish-reading expertise. -- Sra. Brodahl

5th grade Brightwater Water Treatment Plant Trip

2012-01-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, January 24th's, partnership day, the 5^th graders had the opportunity to tour the new Brightwater Water Treatment Plant in Woodinville. The plant is part of King County's regional system that treats wastewater for about 1.5 million people. This plant opened last year after more than a decade of planning and building. One of Brightwater’s most significant features is the advanced treatment technology that will produce an effluent 70 percent cleaner than conventional wastewater technologies. We learned how Brightwater filters the five contaminants out of the wastewater in order to put clean, safe water back into Puget Sound. In the afternoon, students tested the pond and lake water around the treatment plant to assess the healthiness of Woodinville’s water. After investigating the aquatic macro-invertebrates living in their water samples, they determined the water was extremely healthy! The students had a fun-filled and informative day and left Brightwater with new ideas about what they can do to help make wastewater management more manageable.

4th&7th Grade trip to Olympia

2012-01-26T11:37:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, January 24, the seventh and fourth grade classes collaborated on a trip to the Washington state Capitol in Olympia. Students visited the House and Senate chambers, the Governor’s office, and learned about the historic structures throughout the building. After having the opportunity to ask questions and meet with a state congresswoman, students adeptly participated in their own mock trial to experience the legislative process. Bravo to the seventh and fourth grade!

8th Grade Multicultural Day

2012-01-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

On January 24th, the 8^th grade took a digital trek through the mountains of Nepal up to the base camp of Mount Everest. Erika Klimecky of Seattle Backpackers Magazine presented her recent journey to the top of the world. Students were heard to say: “I did not know you must past shrines on your right side to show respect,” and “I didn’t know you could eat yak!” In the afternoon, the class welcomed back a favorite from last year’s art residencies: “el Guapo” himself, Isaac Reyes. Using canes and rattles, they learned three different Mexican folkloric dances: the Aztec war dance, the dance of the Moors, and the Elderly Man dance. Music filled the gym, and fun was had by all.

8th Grade Colonists v Great Britain

2012-01-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

As part of our history unit on the growing tensions between the colonists and Great Britain in the 1760s, eighth graders each assumed the role of a historical figure. Each student researched a person and then wrote a persuasive speech from his or her character’s perspective. In a spirited debate, the Patriots and Loyalists attempted to convince the Neutralists to join them. Fantastic arguments were made by both sides, but in the end the Loyalists won the support of the Neutralists. Despite this victory for the Loyalists, the Patriots should know their efforts were not in vain. As Thomas Jefferson said, “When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.”

6th Grade Earth Quake Resistant Marshmallow Structures

2012-01-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

On January 10th, 6th graders created earthquake resistant marshmallow structures on different surface materials such as sand, sand with a water/glue mixture, and plaster (that modeled a rock foundation).

Students found that sturdier foundations were the best, but the groups that did succeed, in the structures built in sand, discovered that triangle supports worked the best.

New Green Screen

2012-01-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

Over winter break, a fabulous new state-of-the-art green screen was installed in the Advanced Technology Lab. A dry-wall cove was built into the corner and the entire area was painted with special "Digital Green" paint! A matching "Digital Green" floor will be installed in the next week or two.

In this photo, 6th grade students are enjoying filming a "falling from a building" scene. We can't wait to see the amazing movies Vista students will create in this new space!

Multimedia artist Presentation

2012-01-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

On Friday December 16, Vista students welcomed Seattle-based multimedia artist Cathy McClure. Cathy shared her fascination with mechanical toys and technology by bringing in several pieces from her Menagerie exhibit.

Cathy says, “As a multi-media artist with a strong background in metal design, I am seduced by the limitless potential of sterling silver, bronze, and steel. My enthusiasm for the techniques and traditions of metalwork is rivaled only by a wild preoccupation with mechanical toys and the discrepancy between the public's perception of an imagined techno-future and that future that we now inhabit.”
The students enjoyed hearing about Cathy’s work and having some hands on time with the fascinating robotic creatures she creates. Cathy’s exhibit Midway is currently on exhibit at the Bellevue Arts Museum until January 22. Cathy will at the Bellevue Arts Museum for a special demonstration on Friday January 6 (Free First Friday!) from 2pm-5pm and would like to invite OWS families to join in the fun.

Vista Day of Service

2011-12-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

On December 13th all of Vista's staff and students gave something back to the community. We had a busy day full of energy, enthusiasm, and the opportunity to experience something new and possibly out of our comfort zones. When everyone returned to school we were treated to refreshments and talked in small groups about the day's experiences and what we had learned.

5th and 6th Graders spent their day at Northwest Harvest in Kent repacking large quantities of food into smaller portions to be distributed to families. The kids had an "amazing time" and boxed over 8,000 lbs of oranges to help feed over 7,000 people in our community.

7th Graders spent their day at Food LifeLine in Shoreline learning about the repacking process for food donations and got their hands during helping out! The 26 Volunteers from Vista repacked 900 pounds of Frozen French Fries in 3 hours, providing 692 meals!!!

8th Graders spent their day at Operation Sack Lunch in Seattle making and serving meals to the hungry. After they prepared the meal, and served it, they were able to taste their work!

2011-12-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Please congratulate the Vista Botcatz robotics team on their success at Saturday, December 3rd's, Regional Qualifiers!

Out of 30 teams competing, the Botcatz had one of the top 5 high scoring robots, and the highest scoring research project. They received the Research Award as well as the Overall Best Project award and will be one of only 5 teams advancing from the Bellevue Regional to the state competition on January 14.

The team also got the highest possible marks in the categories of “team independence with minimal coach guidance” and “team members act and speak with integrity so others feel valued, even in the most difficult situations.”

Go Botcatz!

Open Window School Connected School Activity

2011-12-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

On November 23, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break, grades 5-8 spent time with the students in grades K-4. Vista advisory groups worked together to create fun and meaningful activities for the lower school students to participate in. It was a great success!

NaNoWriMo Party

2011-12-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Congratulations go out to our 40 Vista authors who celebrated their achievements with their families and teachers on December 1^st. These amazing students participated in National Writers Month, and wrote an entire novel in the month of November! Each one had an opportunity to share a line from their novel, and were rewarded with thunderous applause and cake pops.

Vista Elective Fun

2011-12-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

All of our Vista students have been participating in fun and exciting electives! Our 5th graders have been able to experience different electives each Friday with teachers and staff, while 6-8th graders have attended the same elective taught by one of their peers. Students have participated in everything from cooking, to jewelry making, to engineering to scrapbooking and many more!

7th Grade Vocab Comedy Skit

2011-11-30T13:34:00.000-08:00

Seventh graders make vocabulary study fun by creating vocabulary comedy sketches. Each team creates a humorous skit that illustrates the word in context, and entertains and educates the audience!

8th Grade Romeo and Juliet Final Project

2011-11-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

For their Romeo and Juliet final projects, each 8th grader was asked to create a set design, a costume design or perform a scene from the play!

5th Grade Solar Houses

2011-11-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

The fifth grade students designed and tested their solar energy houses to see which materials work best to heat up water or retain the heat.

8th Graders Compare Shakespearean Plays

2011-11-17T12:09:00.000-08:00

8th graders compare comedy and tragedy in Shakespeare. Students created tableaux to recreate the imagery of the death scenes from "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

5th Grade Art Partnership

2011-11-17T09:31:00.000-08:00

On November 16th, all of our 5th graders traveled to Capitol Hill for an art experience. They visited with artist Greg Boudreau, in his studio, to learn about street art! And then contrasted the experience with a docent guided tour of The Frye Museum and the Tête-à-tête exhibit.

8th Grade Pacific Science Center

2011-11-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

On November 4th, 8th went to the Pacific Science Center for the Life Sciences Weekend. It was vastly larger this year, with hands-on activities such as isolating DNA from strawberries, learning about Amgen's research with antibodies, running a DNA electrophoresis gel, and a practice folding cellular proteins based on their hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties.

7th Grade Jet City Improv

2011-11-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

On Nov 4th, 7th graders go to work on their improv skills! They worked with Jet City Improv to learn about stories and character building.

6th Grade Jack Straw Productions and UW Greenhouse

2011-11-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

On Friday, November 4, the 6^th graders traveled to Jack Straw studios to record their “This I Believe” essays. Each student individually entered the recording studio with a voice coach and confidently articulated their speech. Afterwards, the Jack Straw’s staff instructed students how to digitally edit and perfect their recordings. I was so proud of the student’s enthusiasm for the project and how supportive they were for one another! While some students were working on their production, the other half of 6th grade was able to go to the UW Greenhouse for some plant education! It was wonderful experience.

5th Grade Stage Combat

2011-11-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

On November 4th our 5th graders took part in a Stage combat workshop put on by Seattle Children's theatre. There were all sorts of new experiences including; pretending to hit, sword fight and kick among various other newly acquired skill sets!

Vista Botcats

2011-11-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

Our middle school robotics team, the “Vista Botcats,” has been very busy the past few weeks preparing for the regional competition on Dec 3.

Several robotics team members participated in a First Lego League Robotics Workshop held at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The students had a chance to work on their robot and collaborate with 71 other robotics teams from all over the state!

Robotics team members also visited Sodo Hydro in Seattle to consult with expert horticulturists regarding their research project on hydroponics. The shop owners, Leanne & Ryan Lengle, gifted the team with several books and supplies to build their prototype “Vistaponics” system!

8th Grade Enlightened Thinker Salon

2011-11-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Philosophers share ideas and carbohydrates. Students met and discussed philosophies that later shaped our nation. Present philosophers were: John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Abigail Adams, Voltaire, Olympia De Gouges, and the Baron de Montesque.

5th grade Solar Energy Lab

2011-11-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

5^th graders investigating variables that affect absorption and reflection of solar energy

Vista Halloween Fun!

2011-10-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!
In keeping with Halloween tradition, Vista students and staff had the opportunity today to dress up and take part in the OWS parade with grades K-4. It was great fun to see everyones creativity and enthusiasm...

5th Grade Electives

2011-10-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

This week our 5th graders started their Friday afternoon electives! They had the chance to choose from 5 different options that included, Engineering, Jewelery making, Chipping & Putting, Terrariums, and Bridge.

5th Grade Advanced Tech Lab

2011-10-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

Our 5^th grade computer programmers have been very busy in the Advanced Technology Lab designing, coding, testing, and executing programs in Scratch! Currently, they are practicing the concept of event driven programming through the development of educational alphabet games for young children. We can’t wait to see what they develop next!

Mountains to Sound Tree Planting

2011-10-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

On October 13th Vista 6-8th graders loaded buses, dressed to spend the day working in the ground with the Mountains to Sound organization. The stewardship that the students took part in took place at Lake Sammamish State Park and was an opportunity to plant trees to help "improve the rates of survival for native salmon populations in addition to creating natural habitat for other native wildlife in the park."

8th Grade Ptolomey Presentation

2011-10-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

The respected scientist, Ptolomey, popped by for a visit to our 8^th grade classroom, and presented a deeply refuted lecture all about our stable, non-revolving planet, Earth. Heliocentric? Bah, Humbug! Galileo will likely be making an appearance to put his two cents in sometime in the future.

The Explorers Game

Students experienced the discoveries and excitement of the early explorers. We traveled by boat, following in the seasteps of De Gama, Columbus, Magellan and others. Some visitors found treasures. Others found an early demise from starvation, disease or really irritated natives. All found out something new and had fun learning!

8th Grade "The Big Bar Fight"

2011-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

In writing, students participated in their first writer’s workshop of the year, with a Battle of the Bars (recently renamed “The Big Bar Fight”.) Students wrote and debated their persuasive arguments about which type of chocolate – Twix or Snickers – was best. The students devoured the project and the evidence.

6th Grade Creative Previews

2011-10-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

In Humanities, the 6^th graders presented creative “previews” or teasers for their most recent book of choice. Student presentations ranged from movies, to character impersonations and interviews, to individual oral previews. What a wonderful display of creativity from our students, and judging by the amount of laughter and enthusiasm, I think everyone was excited to showcase their books.

7th Grade Tech Experiences

2011-10-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

7^thgrade students have been hard at work scripting, storyboarding, set designing, filming, and editing original stop motion films in Technology class!

7th Grade Museum of Glass and Washington State History Museum

2011-10-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

On September 30^th, the 7^th grade enthusiastically visited the WA State Museum of Glass and the WA State History Museum. Students were given a front row seat in the Hot Shop to witness expert artists create rope, horses and other designs out of glass, while teaching us about their unique work. The 7th graders then were challenged to complete a scavenger hunt at the WA State History Museum while examining the differing cultures and events that transformed our state.

6th Grade Mt. St. Helen's

2011-10-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

A Beautiful Day at Mt. St. Helens

Thank you all for getting your children to school so early in the morning! After a long foggy bus ride full of challenging riddles, we emerged from the clouds to see a beautiful view of Mt St. Helens and the Toutle River valley. We were met in the parking lot of the Johnston Ridge Observatory by our two intrepid and knowledgeable guides. We immediately went to check out the view of the crater and the pumice plain below us.

Then we watched the movie that detailed the stages of the eruption, from the largest landslide in history, to the unbelievably powerful lateral blast, to pyroclastic flows of pumice and searing hot gases. Next, a ranger spoke about the different types of igneous rocks and Mr. M borrowed the igneous rock collection to discuss their color and crystal size. We learned that the high silica content in dacite rocks made Mt. St. Helens super explosive! As we walked around the observatory, we saw trees that had been ripped from the earth, trees blown down over 7 miles away, and the large hummocks spread throughout the valley.

We loaded on the bus to drive to Coldwater Lake and the Hummocks Trail. We were shocked to walk out onto the lake and find a 30 foot tall chunk of Mt. St. Helens sticking out in the middle of the lake. It's hard to imagine the power of the explosion that could fling an apartment building sized rock about 8 miles through the air! We also hiked on hummocks, huge chunks of the former top of Mt. St. Helens. Finally, we loaded on the bus and worked diligently to finish our journals.

It was an amazing day! Please keep an eye out for photos!

8th Grade SANCA Trip

2011-10-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

The 8^th graders had an awesome time at the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (SANCA) in Seattle! Students had a chance to try out various circus arts including acrobalance, aerial fabric, juggling, hand balancing, tumbling, trampoline, and wire walking. After lunch, students spent the afternoon soaring through the air on the flying trapeze! Each and every 8^th grader took a turn on the trapeze (and the teachers too!) - some even flew through the air with no hands and completed back-flip dismounts! Go 8^th graders!

Mountains to Sound

2011-09-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

On a rainy Monday morning our 5th and 6th grade students had an introduction to Mountains to Sound! Mountains to Sound is an organization dedicated to maintaining 1.5 million acres of Greenway surrounding I-90. Open Window School has worked with this organization doing stewardships for the past few years.

Students spent the morning learning about Mountains to Sound and what they do, as well as learning about the environment! In the afternoon, they got all bundled up in their rain gear and headed out to Tiger Mountain for an afternoon hike!

Puget Sound Sailing Adventure

2011-09-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

On, Wed, September 21st the 7th grade class went sailing on Puget Sound on the Adventuress.
On the Adventuress all of the 7th graders not only learned about how to sail, but actually had the opportunity to be Captain of the Ship!

While the learning to sail was fun, being on a ship isn't just about what happens above water, it's also important to know what's going on underneath! Students got their hands wet, without having to jump all the way in, and played in a touch tank and learned about the water ecology.
And finally one crucial piece was to learn how to navigate! This is an important concept not only for guiding a ship but also for guiding students through 7th grade.

The sailing adventure was a great way to start the year, and we look forward to finishing the year on a sail boat as well, on the Salish Sailing Trip!

Camp Colman and Cascade Canoe and Kayak

2011-09-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

The beginning of our first week of school started with an assembly! We learned about our schedules, the expectations for the school year and had a chance to see friends after being away for the entire summer.

During our assembly we also started to prepare for the end of the week at Camp Colman and Cascade Canoe and Kayak.

The first group to go to Camp Colman was our 6&8th graders. They worked on team building activities, went on a night hike, and played on a high ropes course.

While our 6 & 8th graders were having fun at Camp Colman, 5 &7th graders were out on the water at Cascade Canoe and Kayak!

On Thursday, the 5th and 7th graders loaded the buses and off to Camp Colman they went!

Friday ended our week of fun and team building with the 6 & 8th graders going to Cascade Canoe and Kayak for their time on the water!

While everyone had a lot of opportunities for fun, we also spend some time presenting summer projects.

And just when it seemed that we couldn't possibly squeeze in any more fun...we did! The 5/6th graders worked together to build geodesic domes.

After all of the fun that we had, it was time to relax over the weekend and get ready for more experiences to come at Vista!

Welcome Back!

2011-09-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to school!

The new school year has started and we are so excited to share all of our new experiences with you.

As we move through the year we will be posting pictures here for you to enjoy, stay tuned!

Happy Graduation and Summer Vacation!

2011-06-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Vista Class of 2011 - Congratulations on all of your accomplishments! We are so proud of you. Thank you to the team of staff and parents that put together the lovely graduation ceremony and reception. We wish the graduates well as they move onto new pursuits in high school. You are encouraged visit or write and keep us updated on how you are doing!

Graduation pictures will be posted in 6-8 weeks.

As for everyone else, congratulations on completion of another year of school! Have a marvelous summer vacation and we'll see you in the fall in our newly completed campus!

Glee Elective Performance

2011-06-13T12:58:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to the Glee elective on a fabulous performance at our last middle school assembly of the year. The middle school was joined by 4th graders and the glee club had a captive audience as they sang and danced their way through choreographed routines.

Please scroll to the bottom of this post for a couple short video clips of the performance.

Thanks to Ilana Long and Mike Montgomery for teaching this fun elective class!

AA Peak Trailhead Restoration

2011-06-13T12:57:00.013-07:00

The 6th and 7th grades walked to nearby AA Peak Trailhead on Cougar Mountain for our spring service project. We were very happy to have a nice sunny day for our time planting trees and setting rocks in the park trail.

We worked with volunteers from the King County Parks Department who showed us the proper way to handle a shovel and the best way to cut through grass in order to plant a tree that will thrive for many years in this nearby park.

We hope that every time these students travel to this nearby park in the future they look for trees they helped plant and walk on the trail that will hopefully be much less muddy due to their efforts.

Operation Sack Lunch with a Special Guest

2011-06-13T12:57:00.011-07:00

For our spring day of service, 8th grade returned to Operation Sack Lunch and brought with them a special guest!

Real Care Baby is a program that was utilized in 8th grade health to give students an opportunity to learn what it is like to take care of a baby that cries at night and needs to be fed and changed and held gently.

Our students brought the Real Care Baby with them to our service project where students made lunches for the homeless. Look below for videos of the students caring for the baby!

Final Mountains to Sound Stewardship Event + Kickball Tournament

2011-06-13T12:57:00.009-07:00

In culmination of another year of service projects with Mountains to Sound Greenway, the middle school students, teachers, and a few parents went to Lake Sammamish Park for one last service project of the year. Students removed invasive species and had competitions to see who could unearth the largest blackberry root.

We then sat in a covered area with the Mountains to Sound Staff who congratulated the students on all they had accomplished over the course of the year and had them work in groups to make creative songs and poetry to describe the stewardship work at the park.

We enjoyed a celebratory pizza lunch and then moved on to a kickball tournament to end the day. Mr. Gulotta and Mr. Costello served as umpires as four teams played in a single elimination tournament. The rainy skies became clear just in time for our tournament, what a great day!

6th Grade Ramayana Performance

2011-06-13T12:57:00.007-07:00

The Ramayana! The 6th grade brought this ancient India text to life with the aid of their teacher Dan Gulotta and our India expert teacher in residence, Annie Penta. Students read through the Ramayana and created scenes from the text to be acted out in a performance for the entire middle school and the two 2nd grade classes who had created Rangoli chalk drawings in honor of the performance.

Students acted and danced and threw an amazing not to be missed performance. They made ancient India tales come alive!

8th Grade Civil War Reenactment

2011-06-13T12:57:00.005-07:00

Led by Ms. Yandell and Ms. Long, the 8th grade class finished the school year with a civil war unit. Students created biographies of fictional characters from the 1800's and then learned what it would be like to have served as a soldier in the civil war. They even learned how to bandage wounded soldiers!

Enjoy the pictures and video below.

Vista in the Tropics Themed School Dance

2011-05-31T13:52:00.003-07:00

Vista students enjoyed our second dance of the year on Friday, May 20th. The Vista in the Tropics dance was a hit, with many Vista students and guests in attendance.

We danced to hit tunes and enjoyed the festive decorations - it was a great evening. Thanks for the teacher chaperones and the members of the Student Leadership Team for making this night run so smoothly!

Tennis Season

2011-05-31T13:52:00.001-07:00

Enjoy these photos of the tennis team at their final match of the season! Congratulations to the team on their accomplishments this season. The weather may have been their most fierce opponent as they managed to find practice time around many rainy days this spring.

Congrats on an excellent season, Vista tennis team!

7th Grade Trip to Olympia

2011-05-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

The 7th grade class traveled to our state capital in Olympia as part of their studies of Washington State History. They were joined by the OWS 4th grade classes for a fun day of education and exploration of the history of our state!

Annie Penta Residency with 6th Grade

2011-05-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

6th Grade humanities welcomed Annie Penta to their Social Studies class on Tuesday. Annie is leading an 8 week residency on India and the Ramayana. A Washington States Arts Commission Teaching Artist, Annie has a history of leading exciting and interactive classes.

Today students learned about block printing on textiles, traditional Indian dress, and heard the first part of of the Ramayana. We're looking forward to the rest of our residency classes which will culminate in a performance on June 1st!

Salish Sea Expeditions Day #5

2011-05-10T09:53:00.003-07:00

Greetings from Spencer Spit on Lopez Island. After a good night rest and a filling breakfast, students are preparing for their final day of adventures. First they will analyze all their scientific data and come to a conclusion regarding their hypothesis. Their final challenge will be sailing the Carlyn back to Anacortes without direction from the staff. Everyone is looking forward to the day and at the same time looking forward to being with their families this evening. We are scheduled to leave Anacortes at 4 pm and if traffic is reasonable we should be back to Vista no later than 6 pm.

Salish Sea Expeditions Day #4

2011-05-10T09:52:00.007-07:00

Greetings from the San Juan Islands. Yesterday our students enjoy another day filled with activities. In the late afternoon the Carlyn (Our sailboat) safely docked at Jones Island with Captain Else Groh at the helm. After a day filled with sunshine we did have rain overnight. The good news is that it cleared and once again are enjoying a beautiful afternoon. Although a bit tired all students are having an awesome time. The students will be collecting their final scientific data. Students have loved their activities and commented on how good the food is. Despite having a great time and being in good health everyone is looking forward to coming home to their families. A few are looking forward to a hot shower. We anticipate arriving at Vista tomorrow evening around 6 pm but I will send more updates tomorrow.

Olympic Park Institute Day #4

2011-05-10T09:52:00.005-07:00

Dear 6th Grade Parents,

Day 4, and our last full day! I thought that I might have jinxed the group, for it was raining when we woke up. However, the weather cleared, and we enjoyed another sunny day at OPI.

After a pancake and sausage breakfast, we were off to canoeing. The students split into two large canoes with the instructors,and we departed to brave Crescent Lake. We encountered many adventures in our canoes, including battling the waves throughout (it was pretty windy!), mistakenly colliding with a dead deer in the water (which turned into a useful science lesson for the kids), climbing out of the canoes to explore a cave, a few thrilling games of "Ninja" and "Squirrel" on shore, and, of course, some peaceful time to write in their journals. After taking estimates on how many strokes it would take us to cross back to OPI (Alexa came within three strokes with a guess of 200!), we returned home and enjoyed lunch outside

After lunch, it was time to get to work, and the students prepared their presentations of their scientific data collected throughout the week. We will hear many of the presentations tomorrow, but great job to today's presenters.

Dinner was a fan favorite tonight, teriyaki chicken, vegetables and rice. Afterward, our instructor, KC, built a campfire for only our group. The students performed skits based off of reflections from the week, each of their teachers told a pretty amusing story, and we roasted marshmallows and wolfed down a few 'smores. Overall, it was a wonderful way to conclude our last night of a pretty memorable trip.

Oops, I'm late for lights out. I hope to see many of your tomorrow.

Best,

Dan Gulotta

Costa Rica Day #8-10

2011-05-10T09:52:00.003-07:00

Dear 8th grade families

We last left off with the mini-field studies at La Selva, which turned out to be a great success. I was particularly impressed that two groups (medicinal plants and bird/plant coevolution) interviewed Quique for 30 to 60 minutes each, extracting as much information as they could. Other highlights were the soil testing group, who made some interesting findings involving nutrient levels, and the leaf-cutter ant behavior group learned so much without even realizing it at first! I’m really looking forward to their final presentations about what they learned.

We bid farewell to La Selva and hit to road on our way to Arenal volcano. Along the way, we learned about banana and pineapple plantation farming practices and some of their detrimental effects. For example, all banana bunches are covered in blue plastic bags to prevent them from ripening too quickly. Unfortunately, many of these bags blow off in bad weather and make it to the ocean, where they look exactly like jellyfish, a sea turtle’s favorite food. I learned that only one species of pineapple (Maui Gold) is naturally yellow when ripe – all other pineapples have chemicals added to pull the chlorophyll out of the outer portion. Quique explained that this chemical causes a reaction in a large percentage of the population. Furthermore, the market for organic pineapples has not gain traction because they are naturally green!

As we approached the our destination town of La Fortuna, we made an stop at El Tanque Elementary School, to watch some traditional Costa Rica dancing. It was an amazing colorful display by such young students and they expertly performed 5 complex choreographed dances in a row. Afterwards, Vista students lead games for them in Spanish, including “Todos mis amigos que le gustan…” and “papa caliente“ “contado magico”. It was initially on our itinerary, but we’ll definitely being going back next year!

That evening, we were treated to two hours in the natural hot spring pools that are heated deep below Arenal. It was a beautiful facility with 5 different very large pools and even some waterfalls. The highlight for me and Mrs. Long, however, was definitely an impromptu synchronized swimming performance. Can you believe that?! After an amazing meal at Don Juan’s farm, we retired to our cabins.

The next morning, we started our day with a tour of Don Juan’s sustainable farm. Don Juan is a retired teacher and it was obvious as he expertly and playfully taught the students about all kinds of plants, including gavilana, yucca, black pepper, and even cotton. Yes, Vista students, cotton grows on a plant! After lunch, we played some more games with some local kids and then we hiked the trail to the base of Arenal, which has been very quiet since December, but is no less formidable. We had a great time scrambling on the volcanic rocks and taking pictures of each other and the impressive scenery. We headed back to La Fortuna for some souvenir shopping and dinner out at a local restaurant, which boasted good food and a sizable collection of stray dogs sitting outside the entrance.

I think the week-long sleepover parties finally caught up with some of the students as they were really tired at just 7:45 pm. We went to bed early to make sure we were ready for our final adventure – ziplining. We woke up to an absolute monsoon! So far, we had been spared from the tropical rainforest weather, but we were hit with the full blast that evening. Our tranquil, clear stream had ballooned to a raging brown river that actually flooded the bridge we had driven across to get the farm. Luckily, there was an alternate route and we were on our way. However, we had to drive through a flooded section of road (don’t worry it was safe!) to make it to the ziplines. It’s hard to explain the experience of zipping across a metal cable far above the canopy at 30 miles an hour. The highlight was the “big papa”, a line that stretched for half a mile, had an amazing view of the volcano and lake, and even dipped underneath an archway of trees! I’m hoping that the videos we have will be much more effective than my writing. It was a definite highlight to the trip.

After the zipline, we started making our way back to San Jose. I loved hearing the kids sing songs together, everything from Katy Perry to the Lion King. We finished our trip with dip in the hot tub at Casa Conde – one last “pura vida” moment before starting the journey home.

This 8th grade class is a truly remarkable group of kids. I’m proud that I’ve seen some of them grow up since 3rd grade and I feel so fortunate to have gone with them on both their Salish and Costa Rica adventures. There’s nothing quite like spending a few weeks in a foreign country to realize how unique each one of these kids are. I’m looking forward to soaking up the last month with them!

Pura vida,
Mike

Salish Sea Expeditions Day #3

2011-05-10T09:52:00.001-07:00

Vista sailors are having an awesome day filled with science navigation blue skies and sunshine. We spent the night at Lucia Island where students enjoyed a hike and exploring the China caves. We are navigating our way to Jones Island for the evening. Everyone is healthy and having a great time.

Olympic Park Institute Day #3

2011-05-10T09:51:00.005-07:00

Dear 6th Grade Parents,

I am starting to think that the days of it raining in Washington are over! Today was an absolutely perfect day at OPI.

After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and spicy potatoes, which were a big hit, the kids were off to Barnes Creek for another round of science experiments in their groups. Afterwards, it was time to tackle Storm King mountain, which is a two mile climb up on a safe but narrow trail to a beautiful overview of the lake. Both groups, the "Coyote Chasers" and the "Untitled's," enthusiastically completed the hike with no, um well, with very little whining at all. The view was gorgeous, and the students were able to relax, explore the mountain, and enjoy some journal writing time as well. On the way down, students even participated in a little stewardship to repair portions of the trail. I think everyone felt proud and excited that they successfully completed the hike. Great job 6th grade!

Tomorrow is another full day, which includes canoeing (!), so we are off to bed. Please enjoy a few pictures from today.

Till tomorrow,

Dan Gulotta

Salish Sea Expedition Day #2

2011-05-10T09:51:00.001-07:00

We are ready to begin our day two adventure. Parents can read daily blogs written by the students at the Salish Sea Expeditions website - http://salish.org/Alumni/expeditiontracking

Everyone is well and looking forward to an exciting day.

Olympic Park Institute Day #2

2011-05-10T09:49:00.001-07:00

Hi 6th Grade Parents,

The 6th graders arose bright and early for a delicious breakfast of french toast followed by today's activities. Kent and KC (not Casey) took our groups to the Elwha Valley and the coast line to conduct experiments and observe the surroundings. The weather was beautiful once again, which allowed for some extra time outside for lunch, observing the waves, and examining the "muck" along the Elwha Valley (some students really wanted to find a more scientific name, but we stuck with muck).

After a break and a chicken and mashed potato dinner, the students listened to stories from Elaine Grinnell S'Klallam and her grandson from a local Native American tribe. They also adorned some hats, asked questions and handled some hand woven baskets. Be sure to ask the students about the "Coyote" and the "Two Mice and Cat" stories when they return.

Please enjoy the attached pictures, and we have many more to add to the blog when we return.

Lights out is in 5minutes, so I better head back!

Till tomorrow,

Mr. Gulotta