The Group

This group did a great job representing CMS at Nature's Classroom.  Multiple staff members complimented several students and indicated we were a great group to work with.  Great job, Bulldogs!

Random photos and videos ......

Wilderness Responder

Our last afternoon at Nature's Classroom was spent learning emergency skills to respond to a situation when there is no option to call 911.

In wilderness responder, students needed to work as a team to assess the situation where a staff member was hurt.  In some groups, natural leaders rose to the occasion and were able to organize and pull the group through successfully.  All in all, our students brought all staff back safely to receive treatment.

Final Night Activity - The Underground Railroad

For our final activity, we did a simulation of the Underground Railroad.  There are no photos as all adults participated in the simulation and it was too dark to take pictures.  Our hope is that the students walk away with some appreciation of how difficult it was for slaves to make the journey to freedom and to realize that some never did.  Please ask your students to share this experience with you.

Thursday, 4/14 - Awww

Every year, when Thursday rolls around, I am shocked at how fast this day comes.  Tomorrow we will have a half day and it is back to reality; confined to concrete walls, locker lined hallways, and all the drama that comes with being in middle school.  Blah.  It sure was nice to step away for awhile.

Today, however, has been an amazing day.  We started with a great breakfast, rich conversations, fun and games and a list of new classes.  Our choices were Sew Weird, Adaptation Auction, Senses Hike, Creative Cookie, and Disaster.

Sew Weird

Senses Hike

Creative Cookie

Disaster

Goat

Just thought I would throw that in there.

My Dormmates

There is no better feeling as a teacher than to share my time with these lady Bulldogs.  Some of them I see regularly in math class while others just pass me in the hallway.  Now, we have a new connection and have had a great week together.  Thanks for making this week so much fun.  I will take the laughs and good times with me.  Hope you enjoyed the week as much as I did.

Special Day

It's a very special day for this young lady today. Happy birthday!

Wednesday Night

Just realized I never published the info about our Wednesday night activity.

Here it is:

We were picked up in our dorms around 7:25 and lead to a classroom in one of the Montessori buildings.  Apparently, we had been invited to a dinner party with people from another culture.  All we knew is that to show respect, we had to remain silent and graciously accept the food and drink being offered and comply with our host(s) requests.  It was crowded in this room and we quietly waited.

Two women walked into the room and were making strange clicking sounds, which somehow was a communication of students to select.  What we quickly noticed was that all of the males were being taken out of the room in small groups.  So, I followed a group.  They were taken to Shakespeare and seated in the dining area.

There was strange music playing (chant-like) and two males (out of this picture to the right side) who were also clicking to communicate.  It appeared if the boys did something viewed as inappropriate, they would hiss at them.

Once all males were seated, females were brought in, one small group at a time.  They had to take off their shoes and socks (yet all boys had their shoes on).  They were seated on the floor.

A dish was passed around to only the males.  Once they had eaten, it was passed around to the females.  The same happened with a beverage (that was quite distasteful).  The kids thought they were eating worms and drinking something nasty (it was wet pretzel sticks and a mixture of teas) but were noticing how males seemed to be getting preferential treatment. 

When the meal was over, students were taken to their original location (one small group at a time) to discuss.  All females left first, then the males.

This was actually a culture that had a high level of respect for women.  The ground is considered sacred so all women removed their shoes and sat on the floor to be as close to the sacred ground as possible.  All men ate and drank first as a test for poisons.  So in the end, what appeared to be a very sexist culture was actually one that held women in high regard.  It was quite interesting to see their puzzled looks as they tried to figure this out.  Good job showing great respect for diverse cultures, Bulldogs!  Thanks to Ms. Schwabe and Ms. Hallman for their participation.

If you could only see ,,,,,,

Our meal times!

For each meal at Nature's Classroom, students are given an entire hour.  Yes, an entire hour with 56 students and 12 staff members (that includes CMS staff).  At first that may sound crazy but if you could only see how enriching and wonderful it is.

All meals are family style (large serving bowls and platters, passed around with "please" and "thank you").  Kids take turns setting the table, serving the food, clearing the table, and WASHING the table.  EVERYONE must get permission from the server to get up and ONLY ONE PERSON at a time is allowed to leave the table.  There are absolutely no devices or distractions.  Everyone is either participating in or listening to the conversation.  Each table has one to two adults.

Halfway through the meal, we play a few rounds of Stump the Staff - students vs adults/teachers.  There are guidelines but it is basically a trivia competition using questions that should be accessible to anyone (so I can't ask "what was the name of the very first dog I ever owned?").  It's fun to see what the kids know and they have asked some very challenging questions.  After that we do some type of whole group game or activity.  There are so many connections being made.

So if I had my way, we would dedicate more time for kids at all meals.  The connections being made are strong, with the presence of adults it opens the door for conversations regarding respect and diversity, and it's a great way to bond.  I hope you get the chance to try it at home as well.

And, of course, they could teach you about ORT and make you perform the ORT song, hahahahahaha.

Predator-Prey - Afternoon Activity

After our classes, and a short break, we prepared for our afternoon activity.  We were told we would be outside for 2 hours and we should meet in the gym.   We talked about animals and the food chain.  When our discussions was finished, students were labeled.  They were labeled (literally - with marks on their faces) as bullfrogs, snakes, walking sticks, dragonflies, or hawks (I may be forgetting one and I am sure the kids will let me know, lol).  Some students also had a red x marked on them without knowing why.  We were informed of the rules of the activity and how to "attack" our prey.

Off to the property (the woods, the enchanted forest, the prairie) to begin our attempt to survive.  When the first attack occurred, the markings were changed.  Whatever you were attacked by, you became that species (simulating how animal populations can grow when they are safe from their prey).  By the end of the game, which started with 2 hawks, we had several more.  All quantities of each species had changed pretty drastically.  This ultimate game of tag became a great representation of the food chain and how dangerous animal environments can be when there are too few or too many of any one species.

The x that was on students represented DDT (or pesticides).  Back in the 1907's, DDT was widely used to kill mosquitoes.  What no one know at that time as that while the mosquitoes were kept in check, the poisons in DDT remained in the bodies of animals and insects that eat mosquitoes to survive.  So if frogs ate mosquitoes treated with DDT, and snakes at the frogs, and hawks ate the snakes - then ultimately, the hawks were poisoned.  Big deal, right?  No.  The eggs that these hawks then produced had very soft shells and resulted in hawks becoming endangered since they could not successfully reproduce.  The staff also incorporated the effects of man - indicating that an entire species would have to migrate due to a water park being constructed on the habitat of these animals.

What a great way to learn how damaging we can be to environments.

Thursday in a Nutshell

It's been a busy day and I really haven't had much of a chance to post.  That's a sign of our full day of activity!  We had a great breakfast and another round of "Stump the Staff".  Our class choices for today are Egg Drop, Farm Spies, Guts, Earth Sculptures, and Build an Empire.  Tough choices.  After a brief break, I ventured out and found a field group at the farm.

Egg Drop

Guts

Earth Sculptures

Build an empire

Tuesday - Evening Activity

There are no photos or videos to share from our evening activity as it was the Night Hike.  All 56 students and 12 adults ventured out into the woods.  At the start (being only 7:30), it was easy to see.  The vast wildlife performed for us as we listened to the spring peepers, leopard frogs, the squeak of nearby bats (they are super small), and unusual songs of birds I did not recognize.  It is impressive how quickly your sense of sound becomes more sensitized as your sense of sight begins to struggle.  As the darkness began to envelope us, we learned about how the cones and rods of our eyes work, only allowing us to pick up grayscale (black and white) and how using our peripheral vision (turning our head to the side at times) allowed us to see the trail better.  We heard stories and did random experiments and truly lost any sense of discomfort as all light disappeared.

The black sky allowed us to see so many stars and constellations; Orion, Big Dipper, Scorpio, the Seven Sisters.  Without any light pollution from airports and city streets, they seem close enough to touch.  What a brilliant night sky for us!

Twice during this hike (once when there was some light and then again when there was no light), we embarked on a solo hike  This is where we each took a turn walking alone along a trail about 1/2 a block or so.  Doesn't sound too intimidating until you try it in the dark.  The students were champs and showed no hesitation (I can only speak for the group I was with) in trying on their own.

Once again we ended in the theater to share what we heard or saw, reflected on the experience, and enjoyed a freshly made chocolate chip cookies and glass of milk.

I know I have said it before but I am impressed with their sense of adventure and willingness to try new and challenging things.  Great job, Bulldogs!

Immense Journey

One group of CMS students were lucky enough to have the opportunity to explore the old Rainbow Springs Resort.  It was a failed project that never opened, fell victim to vandals, and eventually burned to the ground. The property is now owned by the State of Wisconsin and little by little nature is taking over.

Movie 1                    Movie 2                    Movie 3                    Movie 4                   Movie 5

Here's a field group ......

Accommodations

So what do you imagine the accommodations are like?  Well, let me tell you about the girls dorm.  It is the newest building on the property.  It is called the Sycamores building with heated floors and tons of natural light.  There's tons of room here and a great common area where we hang out at the end of the day (or while we are waiting for breakfast.  It is also attached to the Nature's Classroom Montessori School

And just outside our door, this little bird has built a nest.  They fly in and out really fast and we have a great view from our window

The Amazing Staff

There's no way I can continue to write about this awesome experience without giving credit where credit is due; the staff.  These are the staff members working with us and teaching the kids this week.  Geoffrey (top middle) is the founder and owner and goes out of his way to make sure Cudahy benefits from his incredible program.  Thank you Geoffrey & the Nature's Classroom Staff.

Free Time and Field Groups and Classes, oh my!

Our choices for afternoon classes were:  Campfire Cooking, Mammoth Mountain Myths, Hunger Games, and Float Your Boat (and of course the group that is still out on Immense Journey).  Here are some photos that include those classes.

Field Group at the Lake

No words needed.

The Boys

Just wanted to add a few photos that Mr. Vandenberg took in the boys dorms.  They are a fun bunch.  Hope you recognize them.

Day 2 - Off to a beautiful start

 While it was chilly this morning, the sun was bright and promising.  We woke students up at 7 am just to see how they used their morning time.  Waitrons report at 7:45 and definitely needed to be ready first.  The rest?  Well, where the girls are concerned, they could probably sleep another 1/2 hour or so.  Good job getting ready!

We had our breakfast where we learned our class choices today:  Immense Journey (2 classes long), Dino-mite, Branch Out, Geo-caching, Orienteering.  The Immense Journey group are very fortunate  They will explore an adjacent property that now belongs to the State of Wisconsin.  Previously, it was the Rainbow Springs golf course, which was never fully developed and burned down several years ago.  They will be doing a lot of walking today but how exciting.  They are the only Cudahy group that will have the opportunity to see this interesting property and I am counting on Mr. Vandenberg to capture the experience through photos.

After breakfast it was off to field groups once again.  I had to stay back a bit to take care of some school business so I was left with the task of embarking on these 400 acres and finding some field groups.  I took some video along the way.

Some field group photos.  Enjoy the experience!

A few extra pictures from today - enjoy.

Our first evening activity.

After dinner we had 30 minutes to unwind and prepare for the evening.  We were told we would be both inside and outside.  It's been windy and cold here today but we were reassured it is the coldest day of our week.

At 7:25 p.m. the Nature's Classroom staff picked us up at our dorm buildings.  We transitioned to the gym where we were told we would be rotating through several challenges.  ALL of these challenges required teamwork and using the STOP strategy: Stop, Think, Organize, Proceed.  It is only with well thought out planning that these challenges can be solved/accomplished.

Hmmm.  How many of these groups succeeded?  You'll have to ask them.  We met in the theater (appropriately called Shakespeare) to wrap up the night.  A discussion about the day, homemade cookies, a glass of milk and a story.  What a great way to end a great day!

It will be lights out at 10:30 tonight (if they last that long - I sure hope I do).

Don't Waste

There is a lot of energy that goes into making the food we eat so ,,,,,, DON'T WASTE IT!  Eat what you take!

Another great meal.  We sure enjoy each others conversation.  I am not sure what's going on at my table.  3 glasses of water dumped and I'm pretty sure they ate the equivalent of two turkeys.

There's only one way to end the meal ........ the Ort Report

Class participation Nature's Classroom Style

Everyone should have classes like this!

When field groups were over, there was a 30 minute break.  I'll bet the other CMS 7th grade students would love to spend their "between class" time like this.

Or maybe you would like to take a short walk and be fortunate enough to be in the company of a Cardinal.

Even better, how cool would it be if all of our classes were like these?

Hey Parents, I have evidence!

Your life is about to change!  Here at Nature's Classroom (and without whining, I might add), your kids have volunteered to be a Waitron!  What's that, you might ask?  Well, it is a J-O-B!  Yep, I said it!  They willingly signed up to:  set the table, serve all food, clear the table, AND wash the table  That's right!  So, keep this in mind for dinner time at home.  They should be experts by the time we get back.

After lunch we

met in the gym to pick our classes.  The options were;  Ahoy Matey!, ABCs of Ecology, Spawn Point, Treasure Maps, Lumberjack Scramble.  Which would you choose?

It was off to field groups after we picked our classes.  This is where we work on team building skills.  Students will be given a number of challenges this week.  Who will be able to solve them?  Which group will need more strategies?

Off without a hitch .......

It was hard to tell this morning if they were tired or bored.  We ran through expectations, revealed their dorm partners, explained their field groups and they appeared to be rather blah about it.  I am sure the last thing that wanted to do was listen to us.  As soon as the buses arrived, we formed an assembly line and loaded all luggage on one bus.  The second bus was filled with bodies.