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WEDNESDAY EDITION
Siuslaw News
Coast Life
O UTDOOR A DVENTURES
❘ JUNE 8, 2016 ❘
SECTION B
SENIOR NEWS
CALENDAR
INSIDE — 8B
HITS THE BULL ’ S - EYE
PHOTOS BY JACK DAVIS/SIUSLAW NEWS
Popular 4-day
program in its third
season returns to
Camp Cleawox
B Y J ACK D AVIS
Siuslaw News
Students learn archery at Siuslaw
Middle School’s Outdoor
Adventures program held May 31
through June 3 at Camp Cleawox
Girl Scout Camp.
A
bout 200 Siuslaw
School District fifth
and seventh graders
participated in Siuslaw
Middle School’s third annu-
al Outdoor Adventures pro-
gram held at Girl Scouts of
Oregon’s Camp Cleawox
May 31 through June 3.
The 17-station four-day program
included outdoor activities like kayak-
ing, canoeing, fishing and archery, as
well as survival skills, first aid, com-
pass and map reading and plant and ani-
mal identification. Native American sto-
rytelling, dance, drumming and tradi-
tional tool usage were also part of the
program.
Students were broken into small
groups that traversed the trails through-
out the Girl Scout camp during the four
days, spending time at each of the 17
stations.
According to middle school vice prin-
cipal Andy Marohl, the district used to
have a sixth grade outdoor school, but it
was cut from the budget about eight
years ago.
“I personally like this model better,”
Marohl said. “It brings two groups
together and adds that mentor element
of responsibility to the students.”
Marohl said the decision to include
the fifth and seventh grade classes was
to create a sense of community in the
middle school.
Student kayakers and canoers
(right) explore Cleawox Lake
with the supervision of district
staff and volunteers.
“We chose the fifth and seventh
grades because they will be our sixth
and eighth graders this coming fall,” he
said. “We like to see the eighth graders
taking a leadership roll in welcoming in
our new sixth graders.”
Outdoor Adventures is funded by sev-
eral grants, donations and money raised
by the fifth and seventh grade classes
throughout the school year.
“Kiwanis Club gave the program
$3,500, Western Lane Community
Foundation gave $1,500 for the pur-
chase of a public address (PA) system,
which will be available district wide,”
Marohl said. “The Parent Teacher
Association gave us $1,500 and fifth
and seventh grade fundraisers brought
in just under $2,000. We also received
some smaller private donations.
“I like that students are raising money
for the camp because it gives them
ownership in it,” he added.
In addition to funding, the program
has received an outpouring of support
from local organizations and govern-
ment entities. U.S. Coast Guard taught
canoeing and kayaking, Western Lane
Ambulance taught first aid, Department
of Forestry taught compass and map
reading, U.S. Forest Service taught ani-
mal identification and endangered
species stations and Salmon Trout
Enhancement Program (STEP) volun-
teers taught fishing.
“STEP has been doing very well,”
Marohl said. “The kids caught more
than 70 fish on Tuesday and more than
100 on Wednesday.”
Lynn Anderson ran the Indian
Education program with native story-
telling and drumming. Jesse Beers
explained how Native American tradi-
tional tools were used, including a
dugout canoe.
Tom Grey, a school employee,
became certified specifically to teach
archery for Outdoor Adventures.
In addition to school staff, more than
70 volunteers helped with the program.
“I want to thank all the volunteers
and the community for its support,”
Planners estimate that 200 students attended the
four-day camp, learning about Native American
tools (left), animal identification (right), water and
boating safety and much more.
Marohl said. “Every year there is an
outpouring of support for this program.
It has gotten better every year. We
appreciate the grants and the number of
hours that volunteers put in.”
Because this is the program’s third
year, this year’s seventh grade class is
the first to return to the program. They
were fifth graders three years ago when
the program started.
“That has been very helpful with the
culture around the camp because they
have been here before and that generat-
ed its own excitement,” Marohl said. “It
has also made those seventh graders
better mentors to the fifth graders.
Things are working a lot smoother this
year than they ever have.”
Looking forward, Marohl hopes to
expand the program to include at least
one overnight camping experience for
seventh graders next year.
“That will give fifth graders some-
thing to look forward to,” Marohl said.
“I am looking forward to keeping the
momentum going.”
Marohl has been chosen to be the
middle school principal starting July 1,
when current principal Andy
Grzeskowiak takes over for retiring
Siuslaw School District Superintendent
Ethel Angal.
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