Wrapping it Up

How did we reach the end of the year so quickly? But here it is and there are always lots of fun activities associated with finishing up, especially if you're a fifth grader and graduating to middle school.

First up was Beach Day and the weather couldn't have been better for building sand castles and playing in the water.

Next up was the end of the year party at Family Fun Center. The Innovators enjoyed the go karts, arcade games and laser tag.

And finally the last day! The final Gathering, giving presentations to parents, signing yearbooks and lots of hugs!

Immigration Fair

The Innovators learned so much about their family histories by doing ancestry research. And their presentations really demonstrated what they had learned and the diversity we have in our pasts. The Immigration Fair was a great success with awesome projects and lots of visitors.

Final Countdown!

The Innovators are hard at work on their final assignments, a Makerspace project and an ancestry project. A big part of these two tasks was time management, handling two things at once and prioritizing what they needed to do to make the deadlines. These skills will serve them well next year in middle school.

 

And then there were the ones who were done with everything and got to relax and enjoy the Makerspace!

Buddy Reading

Since the first through fifth grade are preparing for the Immigration Fair on June 2nd, the Innovators were invited to buddy read with the younger kids. They read a great variety of books about the immigrant experience and the Innovators were really impressed with what good readers the first and second graders are.

An Afternoon at the Beach

The Innovators were invited by their Ladybug and Bumblebee friends to go to Dash Point for super low tide. We walked the beach, looked for animals, got sprayed by gooey ducks and just enjoyed being near the water.

Field Study

One of the things Seabury students really enjoy is our field study, especially trips that go overnight and allow them to explore a new environment. The culmination of our year long study of Westward Expansion was our trip to Cape Disappointment to walk in the moccasins of Lewis and Clark and the earliest exploration and settlement on the west coast. The Innovators wrote about their experience and here are some of their comments.
"Today my fellow fifth graders and I boarded a gigantic tour bus called the Hesselgrave. The bus was extremely awesome and we didn't have to wear seat belts. After we packed the bags into the storage space we went on a 3 and half hour drive."

"Right after we ate lunch we went back to the bus and to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. When we got there we walked up a hill to to this shelter where groups of soldiers stayed, After we explored the fort/old living quarters we listened to a park ranger tell us stories of the Lewis and Clark journey. Soon after that we went to the museum they had and had a little hunt for information and then we met up after we finished."

"When we got back to camp we cooked dinner. To cook the hot dogs we put the hot dogs on a skewer and roasted them over the fire. Once the dogs were finished we put them in buns and added condiments. I liked mine a lot. When we were done with dinner we of course had S'MORES! Everyone had a different opinion on how burnt a marshmallow should be but I personally like mine crispy on the outside and mushy on the inside."

"We went to the beach. We built and found our own forts. We defended our forts. We gained new territories. We joined clans. The best of all was that we saw a baby seal sleeping on the beach."

"The next day our explorers rode the Hesselgrave to Astoria where they visited Ft. Clatsop, Ft. Stevens and the Astoria Column. Clatsop was very enjoyable especially when our explorers witnessed the shooting of an old gun. Ft. Stevens was very fun and scary at the same time. The battery our explorers were locked in was very interesting. Many of the taller explorers had to crouch in certain parts of it. The Astoria Column was very beautiful and the explorers who were courageous enough to reach the top enjoyed throwing their wooden airplanes and looking down at Astoria immensely."

"The next morning I was sad we were leaving later that day but it was fun anyway. We visited Dismal Nitch, Ft. Columbia and Station Camp. Just a little bit later we ate lunch and left for home. I was really sad we were leaving and wondered if I'd ever come back. This was very fun overall and I'm glad I got the opportunity to go."