Day 4: Yosemite Falls hike!!!

Today was a very spectacular day. The students, my self and parents all hiked to the top of Yosemite Falls. This was a beautiful but exhausting hike. The Upper Yosemite Falls trail is only about 3.4 miles, but there is an over 3000 foot elevation gain in those three miles. WOW! All the kids did great on the hike. Yes of course there were moans and groans, but that is to be expected when doing a SUPER stair master. We (the students and I) estimate that we all walked about 200 switch backs for the day. (give or take a few) This was a serious work out for everyone. Our hiking started at about 10:30am and did not all finish until about 6:30pm. A BIG thanks to Phillipe's aunt (Blanche Donaldson) for buying hot chocolate for us as we waited for everyone to be finished with the hike. THANK YOU!!!!

It was interesting to see all the different people on the trail. EAS went along with us on this wonderful challenge. Along the way up the trail I could hear kids encouraging others to help them along. As you may guess, some people hiked really fast and made it up in about 2 1/2- 3 hours and others too more time. The great thing is that EVERYBODY made it to the top. I am so proud that we all took on the challenge and met it!

I believe that God wants us to experience these types of challenges with each other to grow in our relationship with HIM. Some of us were there to give support to others and some were there because we needed that support. Life is like this climb, it just keeps going. It can be tough, you may want to quit, it may seem impossible at times and you may not know how to make your next step. Just remember that there are NO coincidences in your life! People that are in your life, are there right now for a purpose. God knows what you need. Trust HIM. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) I want to thank all of you for your prayers as we went on this hike. We were all blessed in different ways because God was with us ALL THE WAY UP.

Take a look at the pictures below and get a glimpse of our journey. I know that there are more that can be included. So parents and students, burn a disk and send me your pictures. You can also e-mail them to me at: www.bhenry@foothillselementary.org

God Bless

- Mr. Henry

Day 3 of outdoor ed

Today was a great day for all the kids. This morning and this afternoon EAS and Foothills Jr High took the ropes course challenge here at Camp Wawona. At the camp there are some rugged, old and tall Redwoods and Pine trees that hold a path of courage and challenge for kids and adults. This experience is a chance for kids and adults to push past mental and physical boundaries to learn about self. Such as: "How far can I go? Will I let this fear stop me? Should I take a chance?" To pass this "boundary", each person must choose to do so. No one is forced to go beyond what they are comfortable with. There is earnest encouragement given to those who feel they cannot complete the challenge. Each person is given a "Challenge By Choice" The pictures below are a glimpse into a few of the stages of the Challenge. It was not easy, but it was safe.

Kevin Sacro said this about his experience:
I felt nervous and cold at the beginning of this challenge. The rope bridge made me feel really wobbly and scared, but it was still fun. I am glad that I had a chance to do this and it is over. I am glad that I did not bail out. I made it!

Aaron Dustin said this about his experience:
I really liked this challenge. My legs were really shaking while I was high off the ground. When I got to the end at the swing, I wished a magic bridge would appear so I could get down quickly. It did not. The swing was fun though.

Here are just two of the many stories you may here of today's journey. It is a precursor to tomorrow's hike. When every one had finished the challenge, we discussed how we could apply this experience to our lives. What did they get out of it?

Students said:
Always set goals, hope, don't ever give up, support each other always, you can do what ever you put your mind to, God will help you in any challenge, prayer works, it is not always as bad as it looks, meeting a set goal makes me feel happy

We are all on a "Challenge course" in life. What ever it is. You should not fear this. We have support. John 1:9-13 tells us that we are God's children. Our lives are in the hands of the almighty. He will lead you through your challenge. Trust HIM.

Day 2 of outdoor ed

Today the kids have had a great time learning about survival skills. In this class they learned how to make fires and shelters. They also learn five important rules to remember when/ if you get lost in the wilderness. One: Keep your head, Two: Take care of injuries, Three: Build a shelter, Four: Build a fire, Five: Find water and food

The pictures below show cafeteria fun time and the ecology class. Students in ecology class took soil samples to see if the soil around trees had proper Ph for good plant growth. Dirt samples had to be taken from 4 inches beneath the surface. It was interesting to find that most of the soil samples did not have much nutrients for growing a garden but were very neutral, which is great for trees.

One of the fun crafts that we did this week was making tie-dye shirts. Thank you Katherine Gold, Jennifer Kendrick and Caitlin Gold for all your help. The kids had a lot of fun. Look for pictures to come of our Foothills Hippies... :)

Outdoor Ed picture post

Here is a slide show of our outdoor ed this week. We are currently at Camp Wawona in Yosemite California. Each day new photos will be added to this slide show to give you a glimpse of what our adventures are like. Please feel free to post comments. Enjoy

--Mr. Henry

What is your foot-print like?

Our earth is a very special place with many unique forms of life. With earth's population reaching 6,661,731,263 people (according to US Census figure) you may wonder how can the earth support so many. We each need to think about what we can do to keep our planet viable and "green". You can better know what you need to do by looking at your "foot-print". Do you recycle? Do you buy organic foods to eat? Do you waste power? (lights left on, TV on with no-one watching, thermostat temp set to high) Every thing we do at home can affect the environment. Please click this link to take your foot-print quiz. Please post your comment using the comment link below to give feed back and respond with your quiz results. Answer this: How many earths would we need to live the way you do?

Welcome

This blog site was created with you (the student) in mind. Please find that all resources and activities are set up to help you learn about natural and biological science. Please don't hesitate to leave feedback to help better this site as it is created. Welcome.

-- Mr. Henry

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