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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 2017)
12 Wednesday, October 11, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon OUTDOOR: Program was supported by Oregon voters Continued from page 1 list of financial institutions dedicated to helping Outdoor School happen in Oregon was the Gray Family Foundation. For years, Sisters School District managed to provide an Outdoor School program on its own, with significant effort on the part of staff. And now, Outdoor School for all fifth- or sixth-graders in Oregon is a reality. Old Camp Tamarack, a horse camp from the 1930s located near Suttle Lake, was pur- chased several years ago by Charlie Anderson of Bend, another person who shares Betty Gray’s enthusiasm for children going outside to study the nature of the nature around them. He set about remodel- ing the buildings at Camp Tamarack to accommodate middle-school students, their teachers and high school counselors who would come with them. When asked about the cur- rent state budget, Anderson was so happy he almost shouted: “It’s been a pro- cess with a number of people throughout the state working to secure state funding for EVERY fifth- or sixth-grade student in Oregon to attend Outdoor School, and how cool that starting this year there are funds in place to start doing just that ... send- ing EVERY fifth- or sixth- grade student to Outdoor School!” OSU hired science teacher Kris Elliott, to be the administrator. The new program will provide at least three con- secutive days of outdoor edu- cation to Oregon’s fifth- or sixth-graders as part of their school experience, and it may run as long as six days with overnight stays. For now, the Camp Tamarack program runs three days. “Our task now is to sup- port, to the maximum extent possible, all school dis- tricts and Education Service Districts that would like to provide Outdoor School pro- grams for the 2017-18 school year,” Elliott said. “School districts and ESDs are free to design their own outdoor curriculum,” Elliott said, “as long as the instruction meets the educa- tional goals set forth in the 2015 legislation. “We know some districts may not have a lot of expe- rience in developing outdoor education. During the first year, we’ll try to connect these districts with others that have more-established pro- grams. The Outdoor School team will continue to deliver more resources as we fully implement the program.” Last week, Warm Springs fifth-graders were at Camp Tamarack from Monday to Wednesday. The students’ day began in the morning with breakfast and the usual camp pep talks that get them prepared for their foray into the forest around the camp, with a positive attitude for camping and learning. One tiny object has PHOTO BY JIM ANDERSON Betty and John Gray, champions of Outdoor School. helped to bring this all about: the coveted “Purple Bean Award.” A pin with three tiny purple beads arranged in a triangle is awarded to the stu- dent who demonstrates good camping habits and fosters a strong attempt to make things work better at camp. Another distinctive asset to the present Outdoor School programs are the journals used by students and instruc- tors. The student’s journal has several pages for notes, instructions for behavior at camp, and on the very first page a drawing of a raptor See OUTDOOR on page 19 Plus great trout fishing on the local lakes & rivers! A lab of lov or e s Siste e r d! n Ow “I could not believe how meticulous and thorough Peter was. My carpets are beautiful.” — Debbie Bucher 541-549-6471 35 Years Experience | Peter Herman, Owner See us for ided October gu Fishing he Steelhead e of t hutes. Som c on the Des fall! g is in the best fishin Open 7 days a week 151 W. Main Ave., Sisters 541-549-FISH • fl yfi shersplace.com
