Rainforest Review - Week of January 28th

Rainforest Review Week of January 28th.

Hope you have a great weekend.

The Sandbox Project - Start to Finish (Well Almost Finished)

The students in the rainforest room have been hard at work since October working on designing, measuring, creating and finally building a sandbox for our blank outside area.  As part of their project preparation they gave a presentation to the Bridge School Board of Directors that summarized their work and made a request for the funds to build the sandbox.  Through this process we were able to apply for a grant that awarded us $800 towards the cost of the project.  Here is a compilation of all of the hard work.  A huge thank you to Fred Meyer, Chris Yeargin, Anne York, Bob Embrey and Burners Without Borders Seattle.  We wouldn't have been able to complete this project without you.

The Beginning
When we moved into our space in August we knew we would have work to do in the outside area to make it a more desirable place to spend time at recess during the day.  My class decided that it was in need of a sandbox.  This is what our outside area looked like prior to the sandbox project.

Brainstorming and Planning
We began the process by walking around the space and determining as a team what would be the best size, location and depth of sandbox for our school.  

Once they had determined the size, shape and materials needed we headed off to Home Depot to begin pricing to prepare our budget.

Preparing a Presentation to the Board of Directors
Once the students had done the math and came up with a budget they prepared for the presentation to the board.  

Their Request:

October 30, 2012

Dear Bridge School Board:

We would like to have a sandbox in our play area.  Our class measured the outside area and decided the best place for the sandbox.  After we measured we figured out the cost of the materials.  The cost of the sandbox will be approximately $785.00 plus tax.  Right now we only have balls and hula hoops.  This would be another choice for the students at recess.  We are asking you for money for the sandbox so the cooperative school can have fun.  If you grant our reasonable request we will start building so kids can have fun.

Thank you for your time and respectful consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

Determined Bridge School Builders

Moriah, Kaylee, Ethan, CarolJean, Rian, Evan, Sam, Elliot, Zavyen and Zachery

Burners without Borders Grant

A parent brought this grant opportunity to our attention and a team of parents quickly assembled to gather the required materials and submit it on our behalf. We were so excited to find out that we had been selected as the recipient of the grant and our building began.

Pre-Work

In order to build the sandbox so it would be strong enough to hold the weight of the sand the students had to do some pre working by measuring, sawing and drilling to prepare for the final assembly.

Assembly

The biggest step yet was moving all the materials from our inside workspace to the outside area and begin building.

After the building was complete it was time for the sand.  This was an event that the whole school took part in.

Playtime

The sandbox has provided many hours of enjoyment, memories and team work so far.  We are looking forward to the rest of the year.

What's Next??

We will be adding some art to the outside of the sandbox.  In the coming weeks all students, families and other community members will be invited to participate in the creation of the art pieces.  I can't wait to see what they come up with.

Again, thank you for your support on this project.  It has been a ton of fun and a very educational experience.

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January 7-11, 2013 Newsletter

Have a Great Weekend.