07 Jun Spring Fieldwork and Place-Based Education Round-Up
What have our students been up to this spring? Here’s an overview:
Kindergardeners have made multiple treks to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge to investigate pond life and learn about native plants. They’ve created a 3D map in the classroom of the pond and surrounding area.
Student-made salmon in the “alevin” stage of the life cycle
1st- and 2nd-graders have been immersed in a river study, focusing on the salmon life cycle. Students traveled to Smith and Bybee Lakes in North Portland to learn about fresh water animals, Tryon Creek State Parks to learn about healthy rivers, and took multiple walking trips to the Willamette River. The class also hosted a fish hatchery expert and a representative from Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services who taught about “riparian zones” (the land area along a river). Over the trimester, each student role-played the life of a salmon from egg, to the ocean, to spawning adult.
3rd-graders spent the spring learning all about the Chinook tribe. They traveled to Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge to tour a life-size replica of a Chinook longhouse and met with the Ridgefield archeologist both on-site and back in the classroom to specifically learn about how the tribe traveled and traded. The class also went to Tryon Creek State Park to learn about “ethnobotany” (how local tribes used native plants).
Students running the booth at Portland State University’s Archaeology Roadshow
Back in the classroom, students worked hard to create an exhibit for Portland State University’s Archaeology Roadshow. For the second year in a row, our booth was the only one run by students under college age and our students wowed the visitors with their knowledge and quality materials!
Investigating tide pools Yaquina Head
After learning about climate and world biomes in the winter, the 4th and 5th grades concentrated on ocean tidal zones for the spring. Students created ID cards featuring animals living in different zones and learned about the reason behind tides. The primary fieldwork for this unit took place on an overnight to Newport, where students explored tide pools and spend the night in shark tunnels at the Oregon Coast Aquarium!
6th-graders trekked out to Central Oregon for their annual OMSI camp in April. This 3 night, 4 day trip was a marvel of
Hiking near Fossil, Oregon.
environmental science in Fossil, Oregon. Students went on a night hike and learned about triboluminescence, went on a 5 hour hike on two different days to learn about the people who lived there and how they interacted with the environment, and concluded with a dance party trivia contest. Along the way, we had awesome campfires, learned how to play volleyball, and had a real bonding experience.
7th- and 8th- graders journeyed to Smith Rock for four days in early May for an Outward Bound rock climbing camp. Students slept under tarps, cooked their own food, learned how to climb, and rappelled off of the top of Smith Rock.
Climbing Smith Rock
Clearly, it was a exceptional experience that could never be recreated in a classroom. (Look for another post from an 8th grade student detailing the trip.) Additionally, the 7th grade bused down to Salem at the end of May to present their Project Citizen
Project Citizen State Champions!
portfolio on the need for resources for male and transgender survivors of domestic abuse. The thoroughness of their project impressed the judges and won them the state title! Congratulations!
A couple more end-of-year notes:
You may remember that Elizabeth’s 4th and 5th grade students wrote letters to their representatives as part of their fall watershed unit. The persuasive letters urged legislators to vote for funding to replace the 100-year-old culvert at the confluence of Tryon Creek and the Willamette River with an overpass that will allow salmon and other fish to reach spawning ground. We recently heard back from Carl Axelsen from Friends of Tryon Creek:
The volume and quality of letters received by the Oregon congressional delegation was a prime factor in their willingness to fight for inclusion of the Lower Willamette Project in the WRDA 2016 legislation. And, they made it clear that the letters from children packed the most impact. Those children were SW Charter School students. Let the students know that being authorized by that 2016 legislation has proven critical as the new administration’s agenda does not include ecological improvements. Due to this prior authorization, the project stays alive in the law and awaits a time when appropriation of funding will occur. Otherwise the Project could have simply disappeared. Big deal and thanks to the kids!
Wow! Thanks to our students for their powerful civic action!
Lastly, an article published last month by the Society of Professional Journalists highlights the partnership between our 7th- and 8th- graders and local journalist, Garrett Andrews. At the bottom is a link to several of the stories our students wrote about local businesses:
http://www.spjoregon.com/single-post/2017/05/19/SPJ-Oregon-member-Andrew-Garrett-mentors-students
It’s been another action-packed, place-based year at Southwest Charter School! I look forward to the fall, when we return as The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science, exploring our community through service and fieldwork. Until then, happy summer!
My name is Sam Lloyd. I grew up in California and studied at UC Berkeley for my undergraduate degree, I majored in Economics at Berkeley then earned my Master’s in Education at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. I began my teaching career in Oakland, working with 4th and 5th graders for five school years, and about eight years ago, I moved to Portland with my wife and two daughters. Since then, I’ve been teaching middle school math in local private schools.
Growing up in an organic farming intentional community in upstate New York meant spending most of my childhood exploring and learning from the environment around me. After my family moved here to Portland when I was in middle school, my love for learning from the land continued, and while at Cleveland High School I was a regular Outdoor School volunteer. This was a formative experience, and propelled me to pursue teaching science in middle school.
My name is Matthew Gaffney, call me Gaff! I have spent my IT career up to this point doing EdTech and it has been such a rewarding experience. Blending the worlds of technology and education has been a joy to do so far. I strive to make our student’s learning experience the best it can be, and alway try to leave a situation better than I found it. In my free time, I love to go to concerts, explore the wonderful nature of the PNW, and play with my Goldendoodle, Simon. I think every single day is an opportunity to learn something new, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds at Cottonwood. Have the best day 🙂
Stephen Pham (he/him) is an educator, equity strategist, and nonprofit management consultant who works with social impact organizations to refine their strategy, strengthen their DEI lens, and build organizational capacity to achieve equity-driven impact. He partners with organizations across a wide range of stages and issue areas, including research organizations, housing innovation hubs, community foundations, and education nonprofits. Before starting his consulting practice, Stephen was a DEI and nonprofit management leader, supporting sector-wide efforts to scale equity-centered instructional and organizational practices. Stephen’s 12+ years of experience include heading nonprofit operations, talent, and culture at The Learning Accelerator, leading the national innovation strategy for Rocketship Public Schools, serving as a Blended Learning Master Teacher for BetterLesson, and teaching 5th-grade STEM in East San José.
Chris (he/him) has been interested in birds and wildlife since he was a child. Chris grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where he first started to make observations of the natural world. He received a BS in Zoology from The Evergreen State College where he was able to get hands-on experience in ornithology, marine mammalogy, and tropical ecology. Upon graduating Chris worked for Audubon South Carolina where he participated in ongoing prothonotary warbler studies and led kayak and canoe tours through a swamp. Realizing the importance of science communication and education, he would go on to receive his Masters in Environmental Education from Western Washington University. After graduating, he spent three years as an Interpretive Park Ranger with the National Park Service, working at North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, and Saguaro National Park.
As an artist and educator, I believe the foundational tools for learning and engaging in creativity are play and humor. I look forward to putting this into practice as the art teacher at Cottonwood School.
Contact Paola: 
e is Krystle. I found my love of working with children in 2012 when I was hired for a temporary position in a preschool classroom. Since then, I have worked with children of all ages within the daycare setting until 2017 when I was hired for my first job as a behavior coach. I spent a little over 3 years working with school-age students, mostly within the school setting. I moved on in 2021 when I moved to Oregon and prior to joining Cottonwood, I worked as a Behavior Specialist for City View Charter School in Hillsboro. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Teaching from Western Governor’s University. I am also currently in the process of re-enrolling at WGU to go back for my Master’s degree.
Hello! I am Daniel McArthur– I joined Cottonwood community in 2024 as Middle School Humanities teacher. I’m a passionate educator with a love for history and writing. I’ve been lucky enough to work with students in a wide range of settings, from an all-girls Catholic school to a homeless youth resource center to public high schools in Detroit, Michigan. In my roles, I’ve seen my students do amazing things when compassionate teaching meets high-expectations. I am originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, where I developed a deep love for mountains and lakes. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy reading, running, and hanging out with my cats. I am always looking for a new book or park recommendation. Let me know if you have any suggestions!
Cayla first joined our school community in 2023 as the before and after school Site Director. Then in 2024 as the 2/3 Teacher Assistant and is thrilled to step into her new role as a Co-Teacher in the 2/3 classroom. During her time at Cottonwood, she has deeply valued building meaningful connections with the students and Cottonwood community. Cayla is passionate about place-based education and creating an environment where all children can thrive and be supported.
I’m Abby Manzano, and I’ve loved getting to know our wonderful 2nd and 3rd graders as a co-teacher and I’m thrilled to be back at Cottonwood as a 2/3 classroom teacher!
For over 25 years Laura has been serving youth and their families as a transformational leader, curriculum writer, trainer, educator, and advocate. She brings diverse experience working across sectors in schools, non-profits, athletics, mental health, and community based organizations. Lovingly committed to a growth mindset and educating the whole child and loves working with a team of creative teachers, committed families, and inspiring students at Cottonwood.
Born in Japan, Yuri came to the U.S. to study recreation and play, inspired by a deep passion for community, place-making, and experiential learning. She brings a rich background in organizing hands-on 
My introduction to this wonderful school was as a parent back in 2009. My child grew up and now is a college student. The mission of CSCS has always been dear to my heart, and I returned in January 2022 to work in the school office.
Kristin is Cottonwood’s School Counselor where she supports student social emotional learning, academic engagement and access, and mental health and well-being at school. She is invested in integrating social emotional learning and wellness across our curriculum at Cottonwood. By teaching students to connect with themselves, each other, the wider community and the earth, we can build a more equitable world.
Sara was born and raised in Montana where she grew and nurtured her love and curiosity of learning from and about the natural world with the guidance of her parents and her community. She moved to Oregon in 2007 and attended Pacific University where she earned a BA in Environmental Studies. She left undergrad feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, and sought out education as a way to foster empathy, critical thinking and creativity in the next generation. Post college, she worked on a ranch in Montana, rode her bicycle across the country and traveled to far away places just like her childhood story hero, Miss Rumphius. She spent some years working in various educational settings such as the Bird Alliance of Oregon, and then decided to pursue her graduate degree in Education at Portland State.
Liza joined the Cottonwood staff in 2018 as the full-time special education teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and a dual Master’s degree in Reading & Special Education from the University of Michigan. Liza grew up in a large family in the Northeast that included a special needs sibling. Before getting her masters, she worked in administrative positions at schools in Boston and Southeastern Michigan. After grad school, she and her husband relocated to the Northwest for access to all of the outdoor activities in the Cascades and Oregon coast. In Portland, she has taught special education at Beaverton High School, Peninsula Elementary and Portland Village School. She is thrilled to be at Cottonwood where she appreciates the close knit community of staff & students along with the school’s place based education mission. In her free time, Liza enjoys spending time with her family in the mountains or at the coast, buzzing around in her EV, and enjoying the many great coffee houses in the Northwest.
McLean is thrilled to return to Cottonwood this year in a new role, as the P.E. Teacher/Specials and Middle School Teacher Assistant, after spending the past year traveling through New Zealand and Indonesia. He began his journey at Cottonwood in the fall of 2019 as a student teacher in one of the 4/5 classrooms, later stepping into the role of Middle School Humanities teacher, where he taught for four years. McLean brings a passion for integrating music, storytelling, theater, play, and outdoor learning into his teaching, and he’s excited to weave these elements into his new position! Outside the classroom, you’ll find him camping, playing music, gardening, watching and playing sports, and exploring the world.
Kimberley spent ten years teaching preschool through third grade at Trillium Charter School and has spent the years since teaching grades K through 2nd. 
Amanda, a longtime educator and leader in Oregon’s public charter school community, returns to The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science. She believes passionately in teaching youth to care about their community through hands-on learning, so they have the tools and enthusiasm to become active and informed citizens.