Vista del Valle Elementary School
550 Vista Drive
Claremont, CA 91711
(909) 398-0331

Dear Friends,

Vista del Valle Elementary has always been a pioneer in early childhood education. We operated a hands-on, small group program of workshops (or centers) for more than 20 years. As a result of a comprehensive research project of self-examination by staff, students and parents in cooperation with the Claremont Graduate University (described well in the publication Voices from the Inside), we were reminded of the importance of joy and rigor in learning. We made a commitment seven years ago to put "Science in the Center" of all that we do. To that end, we began the Chapman Ranch School partnership, solidified our connections with the California Science Implementation Network (CSIN) for staff development, and entered into some further activities with the National Geographic Kids' Network, NASA, the Claremont Colleges' Bernard Field Station and the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.

The teaching and learning arms that support "Science in the Center" are many. They include a two year rotating curriculum plan for all grades, team teaching for science instruction, direct classroom instruction and experiments, small group investigations in indoor and outdoor workshops and science labs, and on-going staff development.

In a walk around school last week, a visitor might have found/seen/observed/noticed/witnessed electricity conduction experiments with pickles, hot dogs, unknown liquids and circuit boards, classrooms full of plants and animals (bullfrog, tadpoles, crawdads, tarantula, box turtles, tortoises, chinchillas, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, garden snake, rosy boa, newts, goldfish, iguana), and indoor and outdoor activities to encourage observation, stimulate curiosity, and provoke thoughtful reflection and questioning in attempts to make sense of the world around us.

A visitor roaming around last week would have also seen middle grade students creating Egyptian bowls and cuneiform tablets from clay while they attempted to place their own hieroglyph messages on their tablet. Other students were cleaning up the raised bed garden area, and turning the compost piles to prepare for seasonal planting. Younger students were seen creating their home-made version of hot chocolate while they learned more about liquids and solids. Students making new plantings in the native plant area noticed the fresh smells of sage and scented geraniums before they ever saw the new color and growth appearing on many of the plants.

Further observation found out that upper grade students had recently independently created three "lost" cultures with all the artifacts of language, pottery and lifestyle that you could imagine. They took turns burying this evidence in a large, shallow pit on campus. In turn, they practiced the steps taken by archeologists to carefully excavate this pit. As a result, as true scientific sleuths, they are attempting to describe each others' culture and lifestyle from the artifacts recovered from the dig.

The spirit that is Vista del Valle is one that neighbors, parents and former students tell us has existed in many forms, but always with the conviction that learning must be joyful and rigorous and can't be done isolated or in a vacuum. Our outdoor teaching areas like Chapman Ranch at Mount Baldy, the compass course in the park, the riparian environment, the archeological dig, the raised bed vegetable and water gardens, the native plant area, and the wrap-around murals are there to invite inquiry, provoke curiosity, and encourage creativity and the application of critical life skills. Our doors are always open. Parents are welcome as observers, volunteers, classroom helpers and critical friends. It takes vision, flexibility and a commitment from teachers, parents, students and a community of friends to keep the magic alive. The world's too small and student needs are too great to have to go it alone. Feel free to call (909) 398-0331 to learn more about ways you can help.

 

Ley Yeager,
Principal
lyeager@chsmail.claremont.edu

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