Wednesday in the Woods
Shoreline Elementary first-graders learn in and about nature.
BY SCOTT DECAMP
Whitehall District Schools
Shoreline Elementary first-grade teachers Sarah Smith and Amanda Webb are stepping outside the box in educating their students.
Make that, stepping out of the classroom.
Each Wednesday, Smith and Webb take their students to Heritage Park at Hilt's Landing in Whitehall for "Wednesday in the Woods."
There, while learning about English Language Arts, Mathematics, and more, students gain a greater appreciation and understanding for nature and how important is it to protect the environment.
Feedback has been very positive, including this comment from the parent of a "Wednesday in the Woods" student: "For me, it's been really cool to see and hear kids making connections between our learning in our classroom and learning in the woods. We are learning about tools in EL, so that has obviously been super easy to connect. The other day when I was introducing the words: Initiative, collaboration and perseverance. One of my boys immediately raised his hand and said, 'That's what we had to show last week in the woods, when we were doing hard work.' Such a great connection! Thanks again for supporting this adventure!"
Watch the video to learn more about "Wednesday in the Woods."