In this episode, we explore the incredible Outdoor School experience for middle school students in Oregon—a transformative journey that’s so much more than a field trip.
Outdoor School immerses students in nature, sparking curiosity through hands-on science and ecology lessons while helping them develop essential life skills like teamwork, resilience, and independence.
We’re thrilled to feature three special guests: one of our dedicated teachers who leads Outdoor School, a high school student who returned to Outdoor School as a mentor, and a middle school student sharing her Outdoor School experience. From campfires and camp names to salamanders and scientific discovery, this episode is filled with stories of growth, connection, and adventure. Tune in to hear how Outdoor School leaves a lasting impact on all who participate!
Dr. Jennifer Schiele, Superintendent, LOSD
Mary Kay Larson, Executive Director of Communications, LOSD
Willow Myrland, Teacher, Lake Oswego Middle School
Sonia Trullinger, Student, Lake Oswego High School
Lily Richard, Student, Lakeridge Middle School
MICHELLE ODELL:: Welcome to Learning in Lake Oswego, a podcast providing educational insights for an engaged community. Lake Oswego School District Superintendent, Dr. Jennifer SCHIELE, will discuss what's important to our learning community. She'll be joined by experts examining various topics, answering important questions, and sharing upcoming events and activities you won't want to miss.
And now, it's your host. Lake Oswego School District Executive Director of Communications, Mary Kay Larson.
MARY KAY LARSON:: Welcome to today's episode of Learning in Lake Oswego. I'm your host, Mary Kay Larson, here with our superintendent, Dr. Jennifer SCHIELE. Today, we're diving into the unique experience of outdoor school for our middle school students here in Oregon.
Outdoor school is so much more than a field trip. It's an immersive experience where students get to connect with nature, engage in hands on learning outside the classroom, and they build essential skills in learning things like [00:01:00] teamwork, resilience, independence. We will be hearing today from Willow Merland.
She's one of our teachers who also helps coordinate outdoor school for our district. Sonja Trillinger. She's a high school student here who returned to outdoor school as a mentor and counselor. And then Lily Richard, a middle school student who will share her firsthand experiences of outdoor school from this past season.
Jen, take it away.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Wow, I'm so excited to hear this. I'm just very interested to hear how outdoor school has shaped their perspectives and inspired a lifelong respect for the environment. So let's kick this off with our first guest. Willow, welcome to the show. Thanks. I'm really happy to be here. Willow, can you please tell us about your role in the school district and with outdoor school?
Where do you teach and how long you've been here with us?
WILLOW MYRLAND:: This is my fourth year at Lake Oswego School District, but my 18th year teaching middle school science, and I am a sixth grade teacher at LOMS. My role for outdoor school is I'm one [00:02:00] of the teacher leaders that brings the 6th graders to outdoor school every year.
And also, just to plug, I have my own sons in Lake Oswego, they're twin 3rd graders at Forest Hills.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Oh, that's fantastic. So in a few years, they get to go. That's fantastic. Yes, they are
WILLOW MYRLAND:: super excited about it because I talk about it all the time.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: I bet. Can you describe what outdoor school is for anybody who's listening and doesn't know what outdoor school is and then what it aims to accomplish for our middle school students?
WILLOW MYRLAND:: So outdoor school has been a program in Oregon pretty widespread since the 1960s. So it's kind of an institution and part of being an Oregonian. The goal of outdoor school is to get Every Oregon student outside in nature learning science at an overnight camp. And they typically go in fifth or sixth grade.
It's a sleep away camp. So kids go with their classes and they sleep in cabins. They have really full days where they learn about science. They do community building, there's campfires, they eat together. So it's a [00:03:00] really fun program that is kind of a rite of passage for Oregonians. I did it. in the 90s and it's been going on for a long time.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That's great. So you mentioned learning, obviously that's the primary purpose. What are the objectives that you hope students take away from outdoor school?
WILLOW MYRLAND:: One of the things that I think is so awesome about outdoor school is its primary focus for the last several years that I've been is student driven inquiry.
Which is super important to science learning. I used to be a scientist before I was a teacher. I did amphibian research. And one of the things I noticed is that my, my science education, although awesome, didn't really fully set me up to actually do real science. And what they do at outdoor school and student driven inquiry is basically the whole process of science, but it's driven by student questions.
So they go out, they explore, they learn about the native creatures that are in our forest. And then they truly get to pick any questions they want to answer, which is amazing. [00:04:00] Sometimes they pick, like, how many crawdads can you find in this stretch of the stream versus another stretch of the stream? Or do slugs live underneath logs or rocks?
Or what kind of trees grow next to the stream versus forest? And then they design an experiment with their group, come up with a testable question, which is actually really difficult to do. Design an experiment, collect data, and then they actually make a graph and analyze their data and present their findings at the end of the week.
So it's like a mini research project outside. Basically, so that's the, I'd say the main focus academically is that inquiry process, which is super duper important to understanding science and being knowledgeable citizens in the future.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: So how does outdoor school support this understanding of science in the natural environment that maybe you don't do or you can't do in the classroom?
WILLOW MYRLAND:: I always tell kids this, like, science is the systematic search for questions we have about the natural world. So obviously the natural world is mostly outside of the [00:05:00] classroom. You can do a lot of stuff in the classroom as well, but to limit your learning of the natural world to just the classroom is to really limit your science understanding.
So getting kids outside is a game changer. It often engages students in a way that I don't normally see, you know, in the classroom. It can also engage a different kind of student. There's definitely students that want to learn just for the sake of learning, because that's exciting to them. But many students need context and authenticity for why they're learning scientific facts.
And that student driven inquiry outside is often that, that context that, that gets them to want to learn more. It becomes like fitting in the facts to something that's interesting to them instead of just a bunch of random facts. I just think it's a, it's a great. a super integral part of, of a good science education and also of critically thinking, even if you're not going to be a scientist, learning how to think critically and learning how we gain scientific knowledge [00:06:00] creates a better community member.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Sure. No, that makes great sense. What about the most memorable experiences or activities that you've seen students participate in?
WILLOW MYRLAND:: My most memorable experiences are are seeing students either connect to nature in new ways or connect to each other in new ways. I am a huge fan of salamanders and everybody that knows me knows that and all of my students, I know they know I love salamanders and one of my favorite memories is It was not this year.
This year we had beautiful weather, but last year it was raining a lot, which is part of outdoor school and part of learning outside and part of Oregon. I had these, yeah, part of Oregon and I had these group of kids that wanted to go on a salamander hunt with me. And so we were out in the rain. It was just pouring and I found.
These beautiful Oregon slender salamanders, which are only found in Oregon. And all the kids were just crowded around me in the rain, like super excited. They were asking a million questions. They didn't want to go back to rec [00:07:00] time, which is basically recess. They were like, no, let's keep looking for salamanders.
And I was just like, I just kind of warm my heart. And like, they just peered into its little eyeballs and I knew that they were connecting and really caring and seeing their world in a different way. So that was a really good memory. And then also students connecting to each other is super duper important part of outdoor school.
In sixth grade, we have students coming from at least three different elementary schools, but also a lot of students from out of district that don't know each other. And this year was so amazing to go early in the fall. They you know, they were in their cabins together. They made new friends at conferences.
That just happened a couple of weeks ago. So many parents told me how many new friends they made at outdoor school. And they learned to be in a community, to live together in a community. And that that just makes me really happy.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: I can completely see that. But do you think there's also this whole idea of the [00:08:00] socialization that happens at sixth grade, being out there with just their friends?
Have you seen things be difficult for some kids?
WILLOW MYRLAND:: Yeah, it's, it definitely is another huge thing. When I talk to parents about outdoor school, I always try and tell them, like, yes, it is definitely science based. That's, that's what the whole point is getting kids outside into our natural areas to learn about science in our beautiful ecosystems that we have here in Oregon.
But another huge, huge asset of outdoor school is teaching resilience. And it's something that I know at LOMS where I'm at, it's, it's actually a goal of ours this year is. to teach our kids more resilience and kids gain resilience. It's a skill that they get by practicing and having, you know, like long outdoor school is super fun.
There's tons of really cool stuff that happens, but it's, it's long days. You have to take care of yourself. You have to wear the appropriate gear. You have to make sure you drink enough water and you eat enough food and you advocate or ask [00:09:00] for help if you need it. And those little tiny challenges that they overcome every day.
builds greater resilience and it's practicing those skills so that later on in life when they do encounter challenges because everybody will They have already practiced that and it's one of the things I love about outdoor school Honestly kids are not the same kid at the end of the week that they were in the beginning And often many kids are are pretty nervous, you know going in because for some of them It's the first time they've been away from home and being outside all day can if you haven't experienced it It can be a little scary, but they come out of that week with such like more confidence and, and they know they can overcome challenges and they're, they're different people now at school, which I really appreciate.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Yeah. I mean, that seems like just that alone is a reason to do it. So
WILLOW MYRLAND:: a hundred percent like the science is great. You know, I'm a big science nerd I'm a science teacher and I absolutely love it and I'm a huge student driven inquiry like [00:10:00] advocate But honestly the resilience and the community making that happens at outdoor school is is worth it just for that alone
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Well, how do you prepare the students for the outdoor environment, especially those unfamiliar uncomfortable with nature?
Like what do you do up to the point when you're leaving?
WILLOW MYRLAND:: I did field biology for seven years before I was a teacher, so I have a lot of experience preparing for the field. What I do is, and it's really important for 6th graders, is I just allow a lot of time before we go to ask questions, to walk them through what their day will look like.
I actually take them to the lab. on nature walks in Springbrook to prepare them, like, this is what it's going to be like when we're on the trail. Teach them a little bit of trail etiquette, you know, walk on the right side and pick up after yourself and, you know, don't destroy things but definitely observe things.
And then I also communicate a lot with parents before we go just to make sure that they know what to expect. A big part of enjoying your time outside is making sure that you're [00:11:00] prepared and that includes, you know, things like what, what clothes should you bring, what, Gear should you have and then my mantra is always that you can never have enough socks So I just make sure that they bring double the amount of socks That they think that they need because it is a game changing when you can get out of wet socks and get some nice Warm socks on your feet and you're ready to just keep learning.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Yeah, absolutely And socks advice is is good. Anytime your feet get wet. It's like the worst uncomfortable feeling ever Yeah. So you kind of mentioned that you've seen changes since the kids came back. What do you see in their attitudes or engagement in your class after being at outdoor school? I
WILLOW MYRLAND:: definitely see a greater sense of community and belonging with my students.
They are more gelled. They know each other a lot more, like that you really get to know somebody when you live in a cabin with them for 24 hours a day for three nights and four days. They help each other out more. They are [00:12:00] less, I would say they are less awkward about people's differences because they've gotten used to each other and know that people have different needs and they step up and help each other more, which is really amazing to me.
I also, as a teacher, get to see students in a different light. When they're outside like that, I get to know their learning and like what they're capable of. In my classroom, I try to do a lot of hands on science, but it's still not the same as being outside doing true student driven inquiry. And there's so many skills that are that can pop up outside that I can see like, wow, that kid is super good at that.
And they start to feel more competent and see themselves as scientists. So I'm seeing a lot more of that where they truly do are like, Oh, yeah I am a scientist because science is just looking for answers to the questions that I have about the world. So I'm seeing a lot of community, a lot more engagement.
Also, they love this, the songs. We sing a lot of songs at outdoor school. Campfire is probably everybody's favorite campfire. [00:13:00] memory of outdoor school and they will just, I'll be in advisory and they'll just start singing and together, like five boys in the rest of the class. And I'm just like, what's happening?
And it gets stuck in my head for the rest of my life, but it makes me happy that they, they still have that bond. And they, I don't know why they think to sing it, but they do. And they love it. I know it's a lifelong memory for them.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Yes, I mean if there's someone right now listening to our show in fifth grade and either the student or the parents worried about sending their kid for whatever reason that they are worried about it, what advice would you give them about what's going to come up?
WILLOW MYRLAND:: I would say for definitely if, if your student has never a night away. One thing that can prepare them for outdoor school is to practice a night away from home because that is, that's a, that's a tough first step. Once you get that first step out of the way, it's a little bit easier. I would also encourage that family to get outside because Oregon is Like part of being an Oregonian is we are [00:14:00] really blessed with an amazing state, amazing natural resources in the same tiny state within driving distance.
We have access to the beach. We have access to temperate rainforests, to desert, to mountains. So I would encourage families to get outside and start exploring with, with your children. There's so much yet to be discovered out there and truly just like getting on eye level. Like looking at the little things, it's a gift.
It's a gift that we have as Oregonians. So get outside with your family because you'll see that it is inspiring and it will make your kid a lot less nervous to be outside when they know a little bit, a few of the creatures. And then I'd also encourage families to talk to your sixth grade teachers. Like we've done this for years and we have seen all sorts of students.
Every the outdoor school does a really, really good job of accommodating all students, all student needs. So no matter what the needs of your student are, just talk to your sixth grade science teacher and we can work as a team to make sure that your student gets whatever they [00:15:00] need to be successful because it's such an amazing experience and truly it is, it's a It kind of shapes the community of the grade and it's kind of a bummer when kids miss it because they miss out on the shared experience and memories that, you know, funny jokes and songs and that it's just an amazing thing and I would hate for anybody to miss it and there's no reason to because there's always accommodations that can be made.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Well that's fantastic advice. I hope everyone is listening and excited about sending their kids to outdoor school. Thanks so much for being here today, Willow.
WILLOW MYRLAND:: Thanks for having me.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Thank you, Willow. Now, let's hear from another person who helped make outdoor school possible. One of our high school students, Sonia.
Welcome to the show, Sonia. Thank you. Let's start by learning a little bit about you. Where do you go to school? What are your favorite subjects? What do you like to do when you're not in class?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: I go to Lake Oswego High School. I'm a sophomore. My favorite subject is definitely history.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That's fantastic. How about outside of school?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: Outside of school, I [00:16:00] play a lot of sports. I do volleyball. I'm playing basketball this year.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That's exciting.
SONIA TRULLINGER:: Yeah. I like doing a lot of arts and crafts and then just hanging out with my friends. Fantastic. So
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: what inspired you to volunteer as a counselor at Outdoor School? And then how did you get involved in the program?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: In sixth grade, I actually didn't go to Outdoor School because of COVID. So I wanted to go back and experience it, but as older and as a counselor, me and my friend went to Outdoor School together. So our parents thought it would be a good idea for us to go and experience it, but we definitely wanted to.
experience it together.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: So walk us through a typical day for a counselor at an outdoor school. Like what were some of your responsibilities and what, what did you do all day?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: Usually we would start by like getting everyone together, taking them to breakfast, making sure they were all ready to go for the day.
And then you had two field days where you'd have advisory [00:17:00] and then you'd go out in the wilderness and help them with all their work. And then. You do like your lunch and outdoor time where they would just play around. And then you'd have dinner and then you'd have a campfire at the very end of the day where everyone sang and you did like campfire stuff.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That sounds fun. What did you sing? I mean, did you have to know the songs in advance or did you lead the kids in it?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: We had a day before all the kids came, so we practiced all the songs. But you definitely had to, like, learn them more as you went along.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That feeds right into this next question I had for you, which is how do you prepare for this kind of role, especially working with students who are younger?
And then how did you learn how to lead these activities, especially since you didn't go to outdoor school? So this would have been all new for you.
SONIA TRULLINGER:: You definitely had that day, but I can't say this for everyone, but I babysit a lot. So yeah, but it was definitely hard. You definitely had to ask for help [00:18:00] and from like the head leaders.
And there were a lot of games in your free time that you had to play to make sure everyone was still together, that they would teach you.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: What about what I bet everyone's dying to know is, did you get to use your cell phone at outdoor school?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: You did too sometimes, you would have time when the kids were outside and they had like free time that you got to go down for an hour and a half and use your phone, but other than that, no, you didn't have it at all, you didn't have it at night, you didn't have it in the morning, it was just that one
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: time a
SONIA TRULLINGER:: day.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Okay, so what were some of the most rewarding moments you experienced as a counselor? Like are there any specific memories that stand out as like, oh my gosh, I'm never going to forget this.
SONIA TRULLINGER:: So I know everyone expects me to say this but definitely like spending time with the kids and watching how they I think it's so entertaining and so funny.
But also, when you're out of outdoor school, I came with my friend, but you also make so many new friends. I definitely left [00:19:00] outdoor school with new friends that were other counselors and stuff that I still, you know, contact and hang out with today.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: I know that when you're at outdoor school, you, you have a different name, right?
Cause you don't tell the kids your, your name. Yeah. So do you, and then do you tell each other that the other counselors, do you know their names? Or do you only know them by their fake name as well?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: We tried not to tell each other names because When you're out at door school, you don't want to accidentally say their name in front of the kids, and then because I remember someone did that to me, and then all the kids were like, oh, that's your name.
Oh, that's your name. I had to convince them. Oh, like, I don't know who that is. Like,
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: yeah, that's funny. And then isn't there some kind of pin thing? Like, do you like make pins for kids? Or I remember when my kids went to outdoor school, they came back with all these little pins.
SONIA TRULLINGER:: Yeah, when you come to our door school, you make like a necklace that has, you know, your name on it and the counselors, you can either bring little pins or you can like [00:20:00] the head counselors will give you more pins that you can give to the kids after like field study or like something that they did that was like good.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: In this whole experience, what skills do you think that you developed that will help you in your future besides babysitting and watching kids?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: Definitely learning how to like take care of a bunch of people at one time. It was definitely hard. To get them all together at the same time all to listen to you.
So definitely some like leadership skills and Honestly learning how to control your emotions around the kids makes you a little bit angry sometimes But you have to learn how to control those emotions around the kids
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Now, you know what? It's like to be a teacher when they're trying to get everybody hurting cats into whatever way Where you want.
And plus now you kind of know what it's like to be your mom who works with middle school kids every day. Yeah, did you have anybody who had any Missing their parents or sadness or that you had to [00:21:00] kind of consult and help them through a difficult time?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: Another cabin there was across from me did that I did have to help with Field study because she was just crying.
I miss my mom Like we had to take her down to the office to call her mom, but It was ended up being okay. So
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: it is hard because some kids had never you know At that point had never even had a sleepover before and now they're away Yeah parents for multiple days and that could be difficult for kids and then other kids.
I don't think they even Noticed their parents weren't there. You know, I mean, it's there's a big spectrum of kids Obviously, what advice would you give to other high school kids who are considering volunteering it?
SONIA TRULLINGER:: Come with warm clothes. I was freezing the entire time. Make sure for each day you have enough energy because for me when I got there I was not prepared with energy that I definitely needed because Once your energy is down the kids energy starts going down [00:22:00] And then it just affects everyone else around you and when you're outdoor school Everyone tries to be happy even if they're not If you don't want to be there, you have to fake it till you make it.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Well, you heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen, fake it till you make it by Sonia. Thank you so much for being here today. It's really helpful to hear from a counselor.
SONIA TRULLINGER:: Thank you.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Thank you, Sonia. Last, but certainly not least, let's hear about the outdoor school experience from Lily, one of our own middle school students.
Welcome to the show, Lily. Yay! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where do you attend school? What grade are you in? What do you enjoy most about school? And then maybe even what do you like doing outside of school?
LILY RICHARD:: I am in Lake Ridge Middle School and I am in sixth grade and I like to do theater after school, singing and dancing and all that.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: I love that.
LILY RICHARD:: And I like about school [00:23:00] is making friends and like socializing and like Lunch.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That's always my favorite too. So Lily, when you first heard about outdoor school, what was your impression? How did that change after you attended?
LILY RICHARD:: When I thought about it, I thought it was going to be like a vacation with your friends, but like with some learning.
And when I got there, it had some learning and you weren't always with your like main friends, but you made a lot of friends.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Yeah, that's awesome. Can you share a favorite activity or a moment that you had when you were at outdoor school and you're like, wow, this is awesome.
LILY RICHARD:: I really liked field study because that's when we got to like explore and like look around nature and like just appreciate it.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Tell me a little bit about that. What is field study? Field study.
LILY RICHARD:: Field study is basically like the learning time where you learn about like plants and animals and like science and [00:24:00] everything related to like nature and that stuff.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Got it. Okay. And what camp did you go to?
LILY RICHARD:: I went to Camp Ana.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Ana. So how was outdoor school different from your usual school day?
LILY RICHARD:: You got to be surrounded by nature, which I love, and you slept with like all your buddies every night. And my personal favorite, we got like an hour of quiet time back at our cabin, so we got to have naps. That was delightful.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: I love napping. That's awesome. How did outdoor school help you understand subjects like science or ecology or environmental conservation?
LILY RICHARD:: It helped by understanding the nature of like insects and animals. For example, we had to go out with a group and experiment with a specific question. Our question was how do spiders react to movement? Then we got to go explore, look for spiders and like experiment with it.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE::[00:25:00] Oh, I don't like spiders. I don't know that.
That does that sound like a fun thing to me. Were there other people in your group that were scared of spiders?
LILY RICHARD:: One of them, but they were fine. They didn't like see it or touch it. So we're good. So how did
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: spiders react to spiders?
LILY RICHARD:: When you like try and like jab a stick at them or like, not by missing, obviously, but they will run away and look for new shelter to hide them away from whatever is trying to hurt it.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: So what were the challenges you faced at outdoor school and then how did you overcome them?
LILY RICHARD:: The challenges, like a little bit of drama. We eventually like figured it out and like got everything back together. But like friends had some drama and. We helped each other out and we're, we're okay now.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That's great.
I was actually going to ask that question. Was there a drama? Cause it seems like having that many girls in a small space could create something. Do you feel closer to your [00:26:00] classmates or did you make new friends during outdoor school?
LILY RICHARD:: I made so many new friends, and people that were just like in my classes and I knew nothing about, now I know like every single thing about them.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Oh, that's great. Can you share a moment that kind of brought you together with someone who you didn't maybe know that you were friends with? with and now some of you do?
LILY RICHARD:: There was a moment where we had, we had like a ginormous group of people and we had a staff member. Then we split off into those groups with counselors and my group, I partnered with a girl and she was really cool and she had like the same interests.
And then we went, we had to. do like this thing where we would go find a tree, but they would like guide us while we're closing our eyes, and then we had to guess which tree it was. That was
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: fun. That does sound fun. How was it being away from home? Like, did that impact your experience?
LILY RICHARD:: Not much. I felt more [00:27:00] independent and like, good, because it was like, There really wasn't any time to miss your parents or miss your family because it was always go, go, go.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: And what does that go, go, go look like? Like in the morning, you get up and you have breakfast, I'm guessing, and then you're doing these field studies, and then you get to take a nap.
LILY RICHARD:: Yeah. In the morning, you would like, Get up at 7, and then you had 10 minutes to get ready, and then you went to the dining hall where we ate breakfast.
And then we went back, got ready for field study, then we'd go to field study, and then we usually come back to lunch in the dining hall, and then the rest of the day would be like recreation, and like, it would also be like nap time, quiet time, and cabin time.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Did you guys get to do s'mores and things like that?
LILY RICHARD:: We had campfire like, really late into the night. We didn't do s'mores. The first night, everyone's like, I'm excited for s'mores, and they kept telling people, like, we can't do s'mores. Because there's [00:28:00] so many people there, and around the campfire, it would just be a really, like, safety hazard. So, how they fixed it, is they got all the ingredients, and when we were in our, like, Groups, like our field study groups.
We just ate it without cooking the marshmallows, and it was still pretty good.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: What did you do around the campfire? Did you guys sing songs? Sonia was talking about that. We got to
LILY RICHARD:: sing songs, and we got to Because you like to sing,
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: right? So that's, that was probably fun for you. Was it a lot of different songs, or did you guys all sing the same one Yeah, there was
LILY RICHARD:: a lot of songs.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Did someone have like a guitar, or was it just
LILY RICHARD:: So each and every cabin gets a chance to do a performance. Our camp did a performance. We, it didn't end up as well as we thought it would, but it was still a lot of fun.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That's great. What was your part?
LILY RICHARD:: It was like a sing after me song. Oh, got
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: it. What advice would you give to next year's students about making the most of their time at outdoor school?
LILY RICHARD:: Well, there's a couple things. First [00:29:00] thing, listen to the rules not to bring snacks or, like, candy because a bunch of people did that and there was rats in the cabin because of that. So, our cabin, luckily, we listened to the rules, so that was good. But, yeah. Oh
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: my, okay.
LILY RICHARD:: Yeah, listen to what they say. Also just like directions.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That's good.
LILY RICHARD:: Yeah. Always be like nice to like make it so there's less drama and like always get back together and just like compliment people and like just help each other out.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That's great. Now did you, what was your counselor's name? Do you remember?
LILY RICHARD:: Well, we had technically two counselors, one main one, they all have like code names basically.
Yeah,
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: what was their code name?
LILY RICHARD:: One of them, she goes to Lake Ridge High, which is pretty cool Pico, and the other one was Candy.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Oh, Pico and Candy, that's very cool. And then [00:30:00] did they give you guys little pins?
LILY RICHARD:: Yeah, the beads. The beads on your name tag were really popular and everyone's like, I have 28 beads.
I have 16.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: How many did you have?
LILY RICHARD:: I think I had like 26.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: That's fun. And that's something I know my kids name tags that they brought home. They were like on this wood. Is that how yours were too? They're made of wood or something? Yeah, and they still have them even though they're in college on their doors of their room, which is so cute.
LILY RICHARD:: So
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: it's something that you'll remember for always and always. I'm from Minnesota and we didn't have outdoor school. There was no requirement of this. So I think you guys are really lucky and hopefully we continue this in Oregon and allow kids to have this experience. Yeah. So thank you so much, Lily. It was great talking to you today and good luck this winter with all of you, all your plays and musicals and everything else you're going to be in.[00:31:00]
MARY KAY LARSON:: Willow, Sonia, and Lily. I just love that our kids get this outdoor school experience. We get outdoor experiences a lot in Oregon, but having it through the schools is amazing. Before we wrap up, Jen, let's share with everyone what's happening in our state. District and community in early December.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Of course, December is packed, as always, with community events.
Tonight, for example, is Lake Oswego High School's unified Deck the Halls, a sensory friendly holiday event in the cafeteria at 6 p. m. And it's designed for people who may find large events or high sensory inputs such as loud sounds, bright lights, or busy environments. Overwhelming. Sensory friendly events are wonderful because they make it easier for people with sensory sensitivities such as those with autism spectrum disorder to participate and enjoy the festivities.
They typically feature lower lighting, quieter music, and calm spaces so everyone can feel comfortable and included. We're also [00:32:00] busy with board and advisory meetings all week. All open to the public, which is a great way to stay in the loop of what's going on in the district. And of course, we have our students performances in full swing, from theater and musicals to concerts by our band, orchestra, and choir.
These events are perfect for connecting with your neighbors and witnessing our amazing students and their talents. Please join us.
MARY KAY LARSON:: I know I, I want to underscore the, the amazing students that we have in our community and all the, the adults that help them be the best that they can be. Thank you, Jen, and thank you everyone for tuning in.
Next time, speaking of students, we're going to be talking to two remarkable students about their passions beyond the classroom, including Youth Investment Summit and the Positive Psychology Club.
DR. JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Until then, keep exploring and stay engaged.
MICHELLE ODELL:: We hope you found this episode informative and helpful. While our [00:33:00] discussions are general, we understand each family's experience is unique. If you have specific questions about your child, please contact your school principal. To learn more about the topics we discussed, ask a question, or share ideas for future episodes, please visit LOSDSchools.
org. And remember to like and follow us wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for engaging with Learning in Lake Oswego. We appreciate your support and look forward to having you with us for our next episode.