21 Jun Fieldwork Coordinator Update – Spring 2021, Part 2
Title:
Spring 2021, Part 2
Date of Activity / Lesson:
June 2021
Location:
Audubon Sanctuary
Description:
Location:
Audubon Sanctuary
Description:
Description:
We are so grateful that our 6th and 7th grade students experienced a full week of in-person outdoor school this spring. Below are overviews from the two teachers who accompanied students’ daily adventures at Audubon’s wildlife sanctuary in NW Portland.
From 7th grade homeroom teacher, McLean:
7th graders took part in Outdoor School this week at the Audubon Sanctuary and it was pretty awesome! I am so grateful that we got this opportunity to participate in outdoor school in person this year, after they missed out on the experience last year, and just to spend five days with the students, in person, out in the woods, under the forest canopy with the sounds of the birds and away from a computer (with no signs of Zoom, Google Classroom, or email) was pretty special for me too!
Each day of the week had a different outdoor education theme, led by our dynamic instructors, Abby and Tim.
Monday was “Soil Day,” where the students became acclimated to their “classroom” for the week and learned about the three main types of rocks, the different layers of soil, and soil and geology of the Columbia gorge.
Tuesday was “Water Day,” in which we tested the PH level, temperature, and oxygen levels of the creek, created our own watersheds with paper, markers, and tiny spray bottles, and searched for macroinvertebrates in the water to help inform us about the health of the creek.
Wednesday was “Plant Day,” where we took a plant walk through the woods, learned to identify various native plants, tried some edible ones, and did some leaf rubbings and investigations, focusing on the different parts and characteristics of a leaf.
Thursday was “Animal Day.” We got to handle and identify different mammal skulls and pelts and talked about bird adaptations, studying different wings, feet, beaks, and feathers of a range of different birds.
And Friday was a mixture of Wilderness Survival Priorities, where we learned about the “Ten Essentials” of what to bring camping and hiking and the “Rule of 3” of human wilderness survival, and did a couple of blindfolded walk activities through the woods, focusing on using our other senses, and learning to “fox walk.” We also played a Wolf Survival dice rolling simulation game that compared a wolfpack’s chance of survival with and without human interference. All in all, the week was filled with a great mixture of fun activities and educational lessons on the outdoors.
Other highlights from the week Included:
- Meeting Aristophanes, the raven, and Ruby the turkey vulture who live at the Audubon Sanctuary. (And Bybee the turtle!)
- Catching a salamander and a crawdad in the creek on water day
- Hearing an owl hoot in the forest
- Wood cookies & end of day bead ceremonies.
- Lunchtime in general
- Working on our stealth skills, while hiding from the other group in the woods
- Handling the different animal pelts and skulls
- Building a wood structure out of sticks
- A rousing game of “Animal Motions”
- “Meet a Tree” Blindfolded walk
- Some really challenging riddles from Abby in the mornings
- Create your own watershed activity
- Soil scavenger hunt
- Tasting Miner’s Lettuce and Osoberry plants
- RPS Evolution game — with crabs as the most evolved species
- Some improv games and storytime with McLean
- AND A group of students worked on creating a play at lunchtime and performed the first few scenes on Friday. The play is 100% student-led (Finn S seems to be the main creative force behind it), features a crew of 10+ actors, and is frankly action packed! I can’t wait to see where it goes and love the creativity and collaboration involved in it!
Huge THANK YOU to our parent chaperones throughout the week and for all of you for transporting out to the Audubon Sanctuary each day, and of course, our instructors, Abby and Tim, for an informative, fun-filled, and memorable week of Outdoor Education that we will no doubt think fondly upon for a long time! Again, I am so grateful that we were able to do this in person this year!
From 6th grade teacher Lisa:
Outdoor school with Audubon was magical. Not only were Tim and Abby phenomenal instructors who really got middle schoolers and really really knew their stuff, they were so organized and chill and set a wonderful tone for our whole week. They were truly moved by all the really sincere thank you cards the kids made.
Each day began with a greeting and a game, followed by a theme day. The first day was all about soil and we went on a scavenger hunt after learning about what makes soil healthy.
Day 2 was the plant day- we went on a hike to find edible plants and learned a ton about the structure of plants and how to id them. It was also our downpour day and honestly, it made me so happy to see the entire class enjoy the rain. I mean really enjoy it! We were all soaked in the best way and Abby was really impressed by all the positive attitudes. No one- I did not hear a single complaint or sour face about the rain. I really do think it illustrates the power of Cottonwood- weather does not faze us.
Day 3 was our water day, ironically! It was also a beautiful dry day that allowed us to search for macroinvertebrates in the creek and do some testing of Balch creek to see how healthy it is. The pH was neutral, it had great dissolved oxygen levels, the temp was perfectly cool, and there were many types of macroinvertebrates.
Day 4 was our animal day and we were thrilled to investigate actual skulls and pelts, learning about adaptations and learning about types of birds. The students even invented their own birds! So many cannibals! LOL!
The last day was about ecosystems and we learned all about wolves in Oregon and how they are a keystone species. We also went on a blindfolded walk through the foliage and met a tree with partners. We played so many fun games including the flock of a feather, the rock/paper/scissors/evolution game, and our favorite, the animal greeting game.
Each day ended with a bead ceremony where students nominated others to receive certain color beads symbolizing traits. Blue for kindness, purple for courage, red for teamwork, green for nature awareness, yellow for curiosity, orange for respect, and only on the last day did we all receive a black bead for completeness. One of the last things we did was to share an appreciation for nature and we held a rope after sharing, and at the end, we all leaned back supported by the rope, symbolizing how we all are interconnected and can rely on each other.
I was so moved by being able to see everyone face to face and to laugh and play and I was so impressed with their caring and honest appreciation of everyone in the group. And an extra extra special shout out and deep thanks to Jered Spencer for volunteering for the entire week. We really would not have been the same smooth experience without you.
By: The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science Teachers and Sarah K. Anderson, Fieldwork Coordinator, The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science
Stay tuned for more updates of Place-Based Education (PBE) adventures at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science.
Laine is a 4/5 teacher, and no stranger to CSCS! Laine first worked with our students in grades K-8 as a math intervention teacher. They completed their student teaching in both 3rd and 5th grades at Chapman Elementary. They also completed two years of public service as a math teacher through AmeriCorps doing interventions with 7th and 9th grade students. Prior to their teaching career, Laine spent 10 years as a fundraising professional supporting cultural preservation for Alaska Native tribes. With the desire to be “on the ground” in direct service and with a passion for culturally responsive education, Laine pursued a Master’s in Education from PSU. At PSU, Laine was part of the arts integration cohort, where they developed lessons that included arts standards in core curriculum. Laine has a Bachelor’s in Music from University of Alaska and has personally experienced the empowering nature of including the arts in primary education. With their interest in social justice and creative expression, they are committed to helping students explore and discover how they can use what is uniquely special about themselves to make meaningful contributions to their community.
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 she is excited to join a team of creative teachers, committed families, and inspiring students.
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.
Amanda joined the faculty at Southwest Charter in Fall 2010 as the kindergarten teacher, during the 2014/15 school year she began her transition into administration, becoming the Executive Director in 2016. After being away for 22 years, Amanda returned to her hometown of Portland in 2008 to raise her two boys. Amanda received her Master’s Degree in Education from the Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, California in 1992. With her degree in hand, she has taught in a number of small alternative schools, designed a successful children’s clothing line using recycled materials, and started her own Place-based school in rural Montana. Amanda believes strongly in the power of Place-Based Education and getting children out from behind their desks and into active, hands-on learning! She loves children and is enthusiastic about the outdoors, her community, family, cooking, and crafts.
Sarah K. Anderson, was previously our 7th/8th teacher specializing in language arts and social studies, was originally lured to Oregon by its waterfalls. She spent most of her childhood exploring rivers and forests near her rural Vermont home- experiences which provided inspiration for a passion for nature and all things wild. After graduating with a degree in American Studies from Bard College in New York, Sarah served as an AmeriCorps volunteer for Metro Parks and Greenspaces in Portland. Since then, she has worked as a crew leader at an educational farm in Vermont, a Teacher Naturalist in the California Redwoods and a Middle School Humanities teacher at The 
Kimberley has spent the last ten years teaching preschool through third grade at Trillium Charter School and spent the past three years in a K/1 blended classroom. Kimberley is committed to relationship-based education and inclusive classroom practices. She became interested in place-based education while working with a colleague who did their student teaching at The Cottonwood School. The next year Kimberley devoted her time to a year long study with her students of Washington Park and the importance of this place to the Portland Metro community. Kimberley has a BA in Early Childhood Education and Human Development from Washington State University. In her free time, Kimberley loves spending time with her daughters, friends and family, reading, hiking and riding her bicycle. 
McLean came to Cottonwood in the fall of 2019 as a teacher candidate in Morgen’s 4/5 classroom, before moving to the middle school. He recently earned his Masters in Education from Portland State and works to incorporate music, theater, and storytelling in the classroom each day. Prior to his time at CSCS, McLean served as a classroom assistant and after school teacher at The Ivy School, a summer camp instructor/Earth Mage at Trackers Earth, after school care bus driver, field educator at an environmental non-profit, and Expressive Arts Program Coordinator. Originally from Juneau, Alaska, McLean enjoys backpacking, playing the guitar, looking at maps, creating art, sports, video editing, playing board games, long road trips, and crossword puzzles with his morning coffee.
Nancy joined the Cottonwood Special Education team as a half-time learning resource teacher in the Fall of 2020. Over the years, she has evolved as an individual that sees great value in education. In her generation, there were no additional supports for students to develop their areas of weakness. She was a high school drop-out that yearned to be equal. Throughout her life, she strived daily with small challenges that propelled her forward.
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.
Sara joined the CSCS in the fall of 2021 after working as a substitute in PPS and then teaching a small cohort of 1st graders during the 2020/2021 pandemic year. Sara has always felt connected to being an educator. After completing her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies, she worked as an educator for the Portland Audubon, and as a wilderness instructor for a nonprofit in Montana. Feeling eager to bring the outdoors into a classroom, Sara then decided to pursue a Masters in Education at PSU. She loves the challenge and artistry that comes with a teaching career and especially enjoys fostering wonder and compassion in children. When she isn’t teaching, Sara enjoys gardening, paddleboarding, hiking and backpacking, seeing live music, creating art with friends, traveling to tropical places, foraging for mushrooms, and diving into a good book. 
Before coming to CSCS, Dan spent most of his career teaching and writing curriculum for outdoor and environmental education programs. In that time he saw the way experiential education inspired a love for learning and became passionate about finding ways to incorporate those lessons into the classroom. He received a Masters of Teaching from Oregon State University, worked as an educational aide in the supported life skills classroom at Centennial High School, and taught in a 5th grade classroom in the Beaverton School District. When he’s not teaching, Dan loves woodworking, spending time in the wilderness with his partner and two step-sons, and travelling by motorcycle.
Katt will be supporting our K-3 students in the area of literacy. She has been an educator since 2001, making this her 20th year of teaching. Much of that teaching was done in classrooms, mental health facilities, and students struggling with math and 
Born in Japan, Yuri originally came to the US to study recreation and PLAY to follow her passion. She has a background in organizing experience-based recreational, educational, and cross-cultural programs and place-making projects both in the US and Japan. In Japan, Yuri spearheaded the creation of a community nature school, where multi-generational community members can gather and share their traditions, knowledge, and stories in and near the sacred forest. Yuri is a trained playworker and a board member for the nonprofit organization, Portland Free Play, which provides creative play opportunities for underserved communities and public school recess programs with recycled scrap materials. At the Cottonwood Adventure Play, children are provided a safe environment with open-ended “loose parts” that empower them to create, collaborate, explore and thrive through this unique program. Yuri has been a school parent for the last 6 years in the Cottonwood community. Outside of school, she enjoys cooking, gardening, designing, and being in nature.
Hey Parents…my name is Spencer Rubin. I am a Beaverton resident…and one of you: A parent.. We began Play.Fit.Fun to provide kids…parents…families opportunities for: More Fun! More Play! More Activity! Plus…empowerment, confidence, respect, socialization, leadership, teamwork, interaction, after school care for kids with working parents…or for parents who simply want their kids to have 1-3 hours of Fun-Activity…in an organized curriculum and positive environment, while socializing with kids their age interpersonally. No Electronics Allowed!
Cinzia (pronounced “Cheen-tzee-uh”) Ballantyne joined Cottonwood in the fall of 2021 as our math interventionist. She is currently our math interventionist and 7/8th grade math teacher. Cinzia hails from Boston, Massachusetts, but has lived in 6 states and 2 countries! She has a degree in biostatistics and biology from Simmons University in Boston. Her background is in insect and plant ecology, but has also been tutoring and teaching in learning centers between field research seasons since college. She loves to bring her experience using math outdoors and her statistics knowledge into the classroom! When she isn’t teaching, Cinzia enjoys cooking Italian food, hiking, photographing nature, watching documentaries, and spending time with her wife and her mom’s dogs.
Gina joined CSCS in fall of 2019. She comes with experience of working as a community support specialist assisting adults with varying physical and mental abilities, and as a preschool teaching assistant that cared for children between 3 months and 6 years old prior to that. Growing up in New Jersey has exposed her to many different cultures and social classes which gives her the tender ability to see things from many different angles. As a person who has worn multiple hats since graduating Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s of Science in 2013, she understands that there are infinitely many ways of thinking and viewing the world. This understanding helps her guide those who may deviate from the standard towards discovering their strengths, so that they can develop the skills to eventually pursue their education independently. As a person who came to Portland with next to nothing and found a way to summit mountains, ride 200 miles to Seattle via bicycle, and build a stable and successful life, she knows that everyone around her is way more capable than they realize and it is her mission to show them that potential.
Lisa joined the teaching team at CSCS in 2007. Prior to teaching at SWCS, she worked with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) where for four years she developed science curriculum and taught students of all ages around the state. Her love of science and exploration began back in Michigan where she and her sister would explore their neighborhood, looking for insects and tinkering in their father’s work shed. That interest would take her to study at the University of Michigan where she discovered she had a talent for teaching and received a Bachelor of Arts in Education with High Distinction. She recently completed her Master’s degree at Concordia. She has taught in a variety of educational settings from large group assemblies, which encouraged a love of theater, to small group classrooms, where she can give individualized attention. Her strong science background is accented by a passion for storytelling, folklore & mythology from around the world. Inspired by those tales, she creates visual art, plays with the Stumptown-Jugthumpers as a washboard player, and is learning how to make puppets. Lisa brings her enthusiasm and talents to share and loves discovering and honing the talents and skills of each of her students.
Kathy Price, a former preschool teacher, has been working with CSCS since the opening in 2007 (as Southwest Charter School). In addition to teaching preschool, Kathy has worked with Neighborhood House’s SUN program teaching after school classes to grades K-8. Kathy has a coached many sports over the years including soccer, basketball, gymnastics and dance. Outside of school, Kathy enjoys reading, hiking and long walks on the beach. Kathy has lived in Portland for most of her life and is proud to be bringing up her son in the same neighborhoods in which she grew up. Kathy has taken great joy in raising her teenage son and is grateful she gets to spend time with the amazing kids of CSCS.
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.
Paola joined CSCS in the fall of 2021 after being a stay-at-home parent to her twins. She graduated with a B.A. in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University and worked as a Reggio inspired preschool teacher until she transitioned to the role of stay-at-home parent. When her children were toddlers, she started a chapter of Free Forest School in order to connect young children and families to nature. Once her children were of preschool age, she co-created a forest school program in Sacramento, CA. Paola enjoys gardening, food (cooking and seeking out new local options), and exploring Portland with her family.
Janelle joined CSCS during the 2021-2022 school year. Before teaching, she was a field scientist in Alaska working for the USGS (United States Geological Survey) and a private consulting firm. Her degree is in Earth Science and Outdoor Studies with a K-8 teaching credential and endorsement in geoscience. Between her science years and teaching years, she also taught outdoor education in California and led wilderness therapy trips in Alaska and Oregon. She enjoys being outside and being a part of the land and feels it is important to instill a sense of place in our students by educating them on who was on this land prior to European colonization. She recently moved up to Oregon from California with her family and their tiny house that they built during the pandemic.
Emily is a passionate explorer… of places, ideas, and what makes people tick. She has been working for the past few years as a Career Coach, helping job seekers navigate the sticky terrain of finding a career fit and snagging their next job opportunity. Before transitioning to career coaching, Emily worked for fourteen years as a university instructor, mainly in the field of World Regional Geography, where she and her students traversed the concepts of human and environment connections in various manifestations across the globe.
Amy (they/them) is the CEO of NTEN, a Portland-based capacity-building nonprofit that ensures missions and movements are successful through the skillful and equitable use of technology. Amy is also a Cottonwood parent with a daughter in kindergarten.
Jake comes to us with great experiences and passion that directly relate to this diverse position. Over the years, through work with Playworks, at a Montessori school, Outdoor School and with the Boy Scouts, Jake has gained experience in teaching games, delivering lessons, and actively keeping kids engaged in fun, physical movement. He has had the opportunity to build skills that support children’s social emotional well being alongside their physical health.
Joe joined the staff as a long-term substitute in the Winter of 2020. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, and his Master’s of Art in Teaching from SUNY Cortland in 2010. He is a passionate reader, writer, and outdoor adventurer who has been teaching and exploring the Pacific Northwest for the past ten years. In addition to several years working with underserved and homeless youth in downtown Portland, Joe has also taught at an American International School in Guatemala City. Joe feels that successful educators must be constantly searching for newer and better ways to connect with and engage their students and be willing to meet and interact with young people in the spaces that they find comfortable. This means being tech savvy and culturally aware, but it also means simply having the confidence and the integrity to treat all people with respect, and approach every learning opportunity with an open mind. He is looking forward to learning more about place-based learning as the year proceeds.
Daniel has a Masters in Education from Portland State University. He spent last year in a 4/5 classroom at MLC where he gained experience with this age group, used the Storyline Method during several projects, infused the school day with music, and more. He is passionate about incorporating the arts into each school day; He plays guitar for the children every day and has begun a novel writing project with the class. He has been hard at work building solid routines in math and other areas of classroom life.
Her teaching journey actually began at our school as a student teacher for Sarah Anderson while earning her Master’s in elementary education at Antioch University. While there she specialized in integrated learning with an emphasis on science and environmental education. She has spent the last four years teaching a blended 2/3 class at Trillium Charter School where she has been committed to creating engaging and relevant projects that connect students to their place. She is passionate about building strong relationships with students and creating a collaborative and inclusive classroom community. We are glad to have her back at our school.
Emily Conner joined Southwest Charter in 2016 as our 7/8 Humanities teacher. Emily has a Masters in Teaching at Lewis & Clark, where she focused on social justice education and promoting an inclusive and inquiring classroom community. Her interest in place-based education began when she lived in Alabama, working toward her MFA in creative writing and farming in Coker on weekends. In her free time, Emily likes to bake bread, doodle, and go on long walks with audiobooks and her dog Ellie.
Chris joined the staff as the 7/8 Math and Science teacher in 2014. Chris received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology Education from Ithaca College. He has completed Master’s level work in Educational Technology at Walden University. He spent four years teaching Middle School science at Lower Manhattan Community School in New York City. Chris feels that every interaction and situation presents an opportunity to learn. He has a passion for outdoor education and learning through community. Chris believes that knowing the children we teach is as important as knowing the content we teach. 
Natalie recently graduated from Oregon State, grew up in Coos Bay, and is an avid horsewoman. We are excited to have her with us full time as a PE Teacher and Recess/Classroom Aid.
Elizabeth joined CSCS in 2016. She recently graduated with a MAT from the Arbor Center for Teaching in conjunction with Marylhurst University. As part of this program, she had the privilege of co-teaching for two years in a K-1 classroom at the Arbor School of Arts and Sciences, as well as teaching language arts and math units in a 5
Melissa studied early childhood education before having her own children and moving from California to Oregon in 2012. She worked for several children’s art companies including Kiwi Crate where she designed over 400 of their art tutorials and wrote for their child centered art blog. Melissa’s oldest child started at CSCS her kindergarten year in 2012 and Melissa naturally fell into the art program of CSCS by volunteering in a parent-led art program for two years before coming on board officially as the k-5th grade art instructor in 2015. When she is not teaching art at school and hanging art throughout the halls, Melissa leads a girls group, enjoys cooking, painting and spending time with her family. Coming from a family of 9 siblings she thrives around the energy and the children at CSCS.
