Middle School Heads to Williamsburg

Upper School Students Hit the Slopes

Marine Bio Trip to the Jersey Shore

First Grade Moments from Del Val Farm

Fifth Grade Camping Trip

Wetlands Workshop

On July 20^th Sarah Kesten, US Science Teacher and Preserve Manager, attended WOW! Workshop and Wetland Exploration” which is a highly regarded wetlands education curriculum developed by the non-profit Wetlands Institute, at The Aquatic Resources Education Center in Smyrna, Delaware.  This particular workshop was organized by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary which includes the Schuylkill Action Network which, along with the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, gave us the rain garden grant to install the big rain garden in the Preserve a few years ago.   The workshop offered techniques for us to connect our students with our wetlands and natural spaces without limitations, exploring more ways to engage students outdoors as well as ways to incorporate wetland activities while indoors. 

Lower and Upper School Artists Collaborate at The Schyukill Center for Environmental Education

The entire Fourth Grade and Upper School Honors Sculpture visited the Pine Grove at The Schyukill Center for Environmental Education. While there, together with almost 90 student artists, we talked about the power of collaboration, using natural, found materials to create art, and the HUGE thrill of building something bigger then ourselves. 

 

The student artists were also asked to think about the idea of making art that is site specific, and would remain in the grove after we left. We discussed the fact that the work is like our lives, it will naturally change over time, and the memory of the piece, and the experience, will live on in our hearts, minds and in photos-- much like life itself.

Each student group had about an hour to build a fort-like structure out of wood found on site. The structure was to house their entire group of about 6-8 students. They were all up for the challenge, and all found great success! The results are diverse, dramatic and glorious...just like the  young artists themselves!