The City is Our Classroom

Our first official "Bridges" outing involved walking from the Middle School campus in the Theater District to the Museum District and University of Washington Tacoma campus, all the while looking for and discussing the signs of the systems at work in our city. 

We noticed banks (economic and financial systems), bus stops and the Tacoma Link (transportation systems), manhole covers over sewage systems, traffic lights run by electrical systems, and the courthouse in Union Station (judicial systems). We crossed the bridge of glass and noticed the railroad system and local highways and road systems. We noted landmarks like the Tacoma Dome, 11th Street Bridge and the Glass Museum's cone (fashioned after the sawdust burners that used to be a prominent feature of the lumber mills that populated the Tacoma waterfront), and wondered about the history and preservation efforts that have taken place in our city.

We're poised (posed?) for a year of exploration and learning!

Transportation Day: Exploring Tacoma

Transportation Day:

Students arrive and are assigned to small, chaperoned groups, given a Pierce County Transit pamphlet listing all the bus routes and schedules for the city bus and asked to plan a day-long outing using at least 2 forms of public transportation and visiting 2 or more Tacoma districts or neighborhoods.

There's a scavenger hunt list of things to do, including items such as "High Five a local business owner," and "Find a piece of public art." Each group had a different experience, but ALL had a great day!

Creative Problem Solving, Day 1!

Our first day of school, the refrain "Somebody Save Fred!" rang out in the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classrooms:

Fred, the gummy worm, had capsized his boat (a plastic cup). He needed to get to the safety of his life jacket (a life-saver underneath the cup).

The catch: the rescue crew could not use their hands to move Fred, the cup, or the lifesaver. The only tools available to help were two paper clips. These had to be fashioned into some sort of a tool to help get Fred out from under his capsized boat and into his life preserver.

Thank goodness for the agile and creative minds of these students - if not for the courage of this fearless crew, Fred would have been lost!

Giving Back to the Community

Martha Davis, President of the Toy Rescue Mission, was smiling widely when we showed up with this "big" check and 2 carloads of new and gently used toys that this student collected to donate to her organization. This student continued to collect toys and donations all summer long, and it was smiles all around when they were delivered. 

Not the usual answer to the question, "What did you do this summer?"

Thank you to all the Seabury friends and family who supported this service project!

For more information on donating or volunteering, check out https://www.toyrescuemission.org/index.html

Nourish Food Bank

At the Nourish Food bank, we learned what types of food are best to donate (non-perishables that are not expired). 

We learned what types of food they have, how they rotate what is out on the shelves to make sure nothing gets wasted, and that they give away a LOT of food!

They have a huge refrigerator that helps them keep donated foods fresh longer.

We liked their policy: they don't put food out if they would not eat it themselves.  

There was a lot of good food there that is available to families who need it, and we think this is a great non-profit organization to support. Please donate to any food bank near you!

Burien Animal Shelter

At Burien Cares Animal Shelter we learned a lot about stray animals. 

The people who work at the shelter told us where they go when they are looking for strays and how owners find their pets and get them back. 

Burien Cares is a no-kill shelter that keeps animals for as long as it takes ot find them a good home.

                                                  We saw cats, dogs, and even a rooster. 

There were mostly cats that were very friendly. 

While one student was interviewing the staff for his service project, the rest of the group got to visit the cats and play with them. 

Burien Cares needs donations of food for the animals and money to help them pay for extended care and feeding of the animals while they attempt to find them new homes.

Tacoma Art Museum

Visiting the Tacoma Art Museum:

Tacoma Police Department

At the Tacoma Police Department we learned about the different vehicles that are used. We also learned how officers react to criminal and other issues that may come up. Another thing we learned was that police don't automatically pull out their guns like in shows and movies. The fifth graders went there to learn about how a city works and what it is like as a city worker or official.

Washington State History Museum