Hope Elementary event targets outdoor education
(Courtesy photo) Hope Elementary’s family night on Friday will focus on outdoor education to emphasize some of the activities students took part in. This photo was taken in the fall when the fourth- through sixth-grade Hope students taught the first- through third-grade students some of what they learned on outdoor field trips.
(Courtesy photo) Hope Elementary students participated in an activity this spring at Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School where they had imitate particular motions and sounds as they learned the different parts of a tree. Friday's family night at Hope Elementary School will focus on outdoor education to emphasize some of the things the students have learned this year.
HOPE — Hope Elementary is hosting a school-wide Title I family event Friday with a theme of "Walk on the Wild Side" to emphasize some of the outdoor activities the students have done this year.
The focus of the event is outdoor education around the area's forests and lake. Sherri Hatley, Hope Elementary principal, said the fourth- through sixth-grade students participated in several outdoor education days in the fall, some at the elementary school in the woods on campus, and some off-campus at areas like Judy's Place in Montana — an 80-acre property near the Idaho and Montana border and is part of the Kaniksu Land Trust.
"The reason behind us looking at outdoor education is because of where we live and because Clark Fork has the track of outdoor education," Hatley said, adding that it helps Hope students connect with the students at Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School.
"We do some outdoor education already, but we wanted to make it bigger," Hatley said.
Hatley said each year the school hosts reading and math Title I family engagement nights and have held a reading engagement night in the past with the theme of "Walk on the Wild Side." This year they decided to broaden it across reading, writing, math and science.
It will be a free flow "science fair" type of event, Hatley said, and several presenters from the community will share their knowledge of the great outdoors with students and their families. Purley Decker, a former teacher at Hope Elementary and current school board trustee, will present on tree identification and have some activities to go along with it, a high school student will be presenting on camping and hiking essentials, and Kermit Kiebert will talk about some of the history of Lake Pend Oreille. Other presentations include "poet-tree" on the story of the Giving Tree, forest fires, geocaches, a knot tying demonstrations, ice fishing demonstrations and more.
There will also be several activities for families to participate in, such as scat and track identification, as well as other science and outdoor related activities. Some of the Clark Fork students will be in attendance with their outdoor track projects they presented at the school's learning track showcase on Jan. 20.
School officials hope that by participating in the event, students will get more excited about learning across different subject areas and making connections, and will see evidence of their families' support for their learning and school environment. In addition, school officials hope families will experience the fun of learning alongside each other, develop a greater awareness of ways to assist in their child's connections and deep understanding, gain insight into appropriate grade level skills and expectations, and have an opportunity to develop relationships with other families in the community as well as staff.
Students from Clark Fork's culinary arts track will be making homemade chili for the guests, and free childcare will be provided for the younger children.
The event is scheduled from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday at Hope Elementary School.
Information: 208-255-7232