Campfires, Beaches, Microscopes, and Laughter

Hi everyone! There's so much to catch up on! 
Of course, I'm most excited to share our adventures in Monterey, but let's rewind the movie and check out some pre-departure learning...

The students who decided to participate in the frog dissection lab had an exciting opportunity to explore anatomy and utilize some new lab tools and skills. 

Mexico took control over California in 1822, beginning the Rancho period. The processing and exporting of cow hides and tallow was the primary economic activity of the Californios. The pastoral economy flourished, especially after the new government opened the ports of Monterey and San Diego to foreign trade. The Mexican governors began to distribute the large tracts of land, including former mission lands, to people of influence. In order to officially take control of these land grants, Californios had to submit a diseno map of the property and the design for their rancho's brand to the government. They also had to procure a herd of cattle and build a structure on the property.  Everyone on Team 3/4 has received a provisional land grant and has been working hard to meet the Mexican government's requirements. Below, they are building the necessary structure on their rancho by making adobe bricks from local materials. 

Students tested soil for clay and silt content. 

They gathered soil from different locations around campus. 

They removed rocks and sticks. 

 Teamwork makes the dream work!

Adding sand and straw to the adobe mixture. 

Stomp and dance and mix it up!

Then we carefully formed rectangular prism and left them in the sun to dry. 


A few days later all sixteen of us left for an awesome 4 days together out in the world! Our first stop was Año Nuevo State Park for lunch and a hike to view the elephant seals. We met a docent at the park who showed us around and shared lots of fun facts and stories about the giant mammals. 

Here the students are feeling and comparing the average lengths of male and female elephant seals with their eyes closed. 

Camp meals are the best! Thank you chaperones and kitchen duty team!

Alright kids, eats those veggies!

Day 2 was a trip to Elkhorn Slough where we explored the visitor center/ museum, learned about wetlands and estuary ecology, hiked through diverse habitats, and checked out some tiny invertebrates in the microscope lab. 

The microscopes were really cool! We saw brittle stars, tiny ghost shrimp, and jellies! 

Car ride giggle fest!

Snacks, games, and fresh air!

Sunset Beach at our campground was a stunning highlight for me.

Check out the positivity on the clean up crew!  :)

Another personal highlight was our Team 3/4 Capture the Flag game that eventually lured the whole school to join! Check out the blur of action at the center line. 

 Gary's busted. To jail with you!

Pancakes and sausages over the fire! 

Then Day 3 was a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I know I'm biased, but I think it's the most beautiful place. 

Lying down to watch the sardines swim circles over our heads. 

Back at camp we had another afternoon of games and relaxation. 

Balancing on the slack line. 

 The kitchen crew is preparing a mountain of tortillas and rice for the whole school community dinner. 

Post-dinner, pre-campfire elbow tag:

The 7th and 8th graders put on a seriously hilarious campfire show and, of course, we all loved the s'mores. 

 Thanks to everyone (chaperones, grocery shoppers, suitcase packers, etc!) who made the trip possible. So many memories!

We're headed to Bello Gardens on Friday for our last visit with our senior friends. We'll be doing a painting activity in the yard, sharing our favorite memories, and saying farewell to some really lovely people. Thanks drivers!