October 2023 Blog – Outdoor Education Inspiration

At Hillside, we believe that sometimes one of the very best things you can do is get out of the classroom and into spaces where you can explore and create as you learn. Since Hillside is situated on 5 acres of Cougar Mountain’s beautiful forest, there are trails, tons of native plants to examine, perfect spots for camping, and even an outdoor classroom. This past month our learning has been deeply inspired by the woods around us. 

The 5th and 6th grade students are studying Native American tribes in US History class this month, and learning how to live a little closer to the land our school is built on. We’re fortunate enough to have a wilderness survival expert on staff, who helped the class learn how to build a tipi survival shelter, including how to gather materials in the forest that are safe to use, and that don’t damage the forest. 

We also had our Community Building Day Hike recently! Exploring the forest together and helping each other overcome obstacles is just one of many ways nature helps strengthen our community. 

Art classes at all grade levels have been drawing inspiration from our forest this month, as well – the 5th/6th grade students have been enjoying plein air sketching, and our older students learned to sew forest critters. Those hand-stitched squirrels are adorable!

Our science classes often do experiments involving the forest – but this month, did some in-classroom experiments with one of the most important things we find in nature and our forest – water.

By spending class time outdoors, our students have learned to appreciate the world around them through art and survival skills. They’ve also learned important teamwork skills through science, hiking, and tipi construction. We can learn so much from stepping outside of our classrooms – it’s such a gift for our students to have the forest around us!

Looking Ahead:

• October 12th – October Open House at 7PM
• October 23rd – Start of Block IB
• October 28th – Halloween Party at 7PM

October Birthdays:

• Flora
• Harry
• Ausby
• Frances

The start of the school year means the return to a familiar environment for some members of our community. But it also means the start of a new adventure for a large number of our students. Eleven new students joined Hillside Student Community School this year. That’s a third of our student body.

Greeting friends old and new consumes the first few minutes of day one, but soon the attention shifts to organized activities designed to strengthen relationships. Social emotional well-being remains a fundamental component of education particularly in a small school setting that relies heavily on social constructivism. 

The term ‘social constructivism’ shapes how we learn together. It is through our interaction with each other that we build our knowledge of the world. That can mean a large group of students standing on a tarp with the goal of turning it over without using their hands and avoiding stepping on the floor. 

In a pair-work it means one blindfolded student being guided by another through the process of building a house. With the verbal instructions provided by the sighted partner, the temporarily non-sighted individual puts together the Leggo pieces. The end products vary in size and shape. Some have trees. Others have long corridors and still another has a slide. 

Placed together in a neighborhood the creations reflect the diversity of a real human community. The parallels are plenty. Some are large. Others are small. Some are in need of repair. 

Exploring the world beyond our walls includes field trips. In the first week of school two groups of students traveled to the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.  This trip allowed students in our elementary section to use descriptive language featuring their five senses to describe the iconic location.

Older students in the videography class went to the Pike Place Market in search of footage to tell short video stories of a special place in the NW. From shopkeepers, to tourists, to street performers, the Market provides a visual feast.  

While we know the value of traveling together to explore our environment and working together to create a new product, we are mindful that humans often need the serenity of silence to work alone to transform small ideas into large realities. Our job as parents and teachers is to find the right balance of group work and individual work. If we find that right harmony, the possibilities are almost unlimited. It’s going to be a great year!

Looking ahead:

• Thursday, 7 September Curriculum Night
• Saturday, 16 September Community Building Day
• Wednesday, 20 September Last day of electives
• Thursday, 21 September Start of Block 1A
• Tuesday, 26 September School Photo Day

Summer Birthdays

• Graeme
• Hazel
• David
• Alexander
• Zachary
• Oakley
• Ashton
• Giovanni

September Birthdays

• Isabel
• Isaac
• Ryn
• Shadow

Spotlight On…

Get Ready for Hillside’s Last Open House!

Hi prospective families! Are you ready for an adventure? Explore Hillside, where learning is always an adventure! Join us on Thursday, May 11 at 7pm for our Open House event.

Hillside’s History Feast 

This year our History Feast event was held on Saturday, April 29th from 5pm-8:30pm. Our performers did a wonderful job researching and acting their characters-and throwing a little humor into the mix! We are very proud of them!

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