Fossil Charter School
Mission statement:
Our mission is to empower students to reach their full potential through an innovative curriculum that utilizes site-based experiences and technology in the study of natural resources. Our goal is to engage and nurture learners to aid them in becoming healthy, responsible citizens whom are career and college ready.
Beliefs:
We believe all students can learn. Students must leave high school with the ability to read, write, and effectively communicate using various media. Students need to be able to understand and articulate information and ideas. We believe in a balanced curriculum that incorporates rigorous and relevant instruction in core (foundational?) subjects, but also includes creative and technical studies. Beyond the academic, we strive for a learning environment that assists students’ creative, physical, emotional, and social development.
Direction:
With our Mission and our Beliefs we want to focus our energy and resources toward a site based natural resources curriculum that introduces students to the agricultural economic happenings with-in our state. We want to explore the how’s, what’s, and why’s of the natural resource and agricultural opportunities and happenings that are ever present and changing in our state and the technological impacts on these changes.
Focused Activities:
We propose a 1 year requirement towards graduation that is a curriculum and class focused on the Natural Resources, Economics, and Technology where students will write, speak, present, research and build the skills needed for college and career readiness. We envision this curriculum and staff collaboration to include discussion in social sciences of the every changing economic world we live in and how that brings different workers and cultures to our communities. We see this curriculum as an introduction to the amazing variety of economic opportunities with-in the agricultural business and natural resources associated with those areas.
Industries of Focus:
Wheat, Beef, Cranberries, Hazelnuts, Grass Seed, Orchard Fruits, Fish, Shell Fish, Vita-Culture, Wood Products, Wind Power, Hydro-Electric Power, Solar
Possible Excursions:
Oregon Wheat Growers Association, Oregon Wheat Commission, Painted Hills Ranches Beef Processing Centers
Painted Hills Offices and or Guest Speakers
Oregon Cranberries Grower Association, Oregon Grass Seed Commission
Hazel Nut Growers Cooperative
Oregon Oyster Farm, Pacific Shellfish Institute
Oregon Wine Growers Associations
Various Lumber Companies and Mills
Bonneville Power Administration
PGE
The 7th and 8th graders, under the supervision of Larry Conaway, will then decide what they will grow and how much room thye need for cultivation.
If the idea of 8 cruise courses goes into effect next year, then Larry Conaway will have a 7th period class that does the garden 1st and 4th quarter. 2nd and 3rd quarter he would teach wood shop. This gives the garden an adult in charge, to plan and implement the team of Junior High students to tend the garden. They would sell their product each fall and use the money as a start up to their class money they have in high school.
Grade School Natural Resources Areas of Srudy
Quarter themes (a unit within the quarter)
Fall ideas farm to table (will rotate 1 a year)
We began the process of theses site based learning experiences in 2016-2017. Our staff met several times to create a comprehensive 4-year plan. Here is what the students have had the opportunity to see and do in the past two years while we also have 2018-2020 planned:
2016-2017 Fall: Southern Oregon Coast to study the Cranberry Industry and Tidal Estuaries
Spring: Shellfish Farming in the Puget Sound, MoPop museum in Seattle as well as a Mariners game
2017-2018 Fall: Roaring Springs ranch and the Steen’s Mountain wilderness area. Land rehabilitation, soil and water conservation, renew habit for wildlife.
Spring: Astoria, Oregon Crab fishing seafood processing, Bar Pilots and the whole economic impact of the Columbia river shipping and ports. Fort Stevens State Park, Fort Clatsop, and a robotics class at the Maritime Museum.
2018-2019 Fall: Willamette Valley to study Hazelnuts, Blueberries, Grass Seed, Nursery stock.
Spring: Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument and Museum, Custer State Park, and Yellow Stone National Park
2019 – 2020 Fall: Bend, Ashland, Roseburg, and Crater Lake, to study Tourism, Timber, Outdoor Pursuits and we spend a day at the theater in Ashland learning the behind scenes of what it takes to put on a play at the Shakespearian Festival, as well as attend a play.
Spring: Wallowa Oregon region, Eagle Cap Wilderness, to study ranching and farming, Wolf habitat protection, Snake River and Hells Canyon.
Our goal is to introduce our students to what the great state of Oregon offers in its varied regions.
The rich history in each region, what today holds for economic prosperity in the natural resources that our
state producing, and what the future looks like in all these regions as our state population grows. We want
our students to see themselves
We have been blessed that our school board supports these trips and the richness that these experiences add to our high school student’s education.
Mission statement:
Our mission is to empower students to reach their full potential through an innovative curriculum that utilizes site-based experiences and technology in the study of natural resources. Our goal is to engage and nurture learners to aid them in becoming healthy, responsible citizens whom are career and college ready.
Beliefs:
We believe all students can learn. Students must leave high school with the ability to read, write, and effectively communicate using various media. Students need to be able to understand and articulate information and ideas. We believe in a balanced curriculum that incorporates rigorous and relevant instruction in core (foundational?) subjects, but also includes creative and technical studies. Beyond the academic, we strive for a learning environment that assists students’ creative, physical, emotional, and social development.
Direction:
With our Mission and our Beliefs we want to focus our energy and resources toward a site based natural resources curriculum that introduces students to the agricultural economic happenings with-in our state. We want to explore the how’s, what’s, and why’s of the natural resource and agricultural opportunities and happenings that are ever present and changing in our state and the technological impacts on these changes.
Focused Activities:
We propose a 1 year requirement towards graduation that is a curriculum and class focused on the Natural Resources, Economics, and Technology where students will write, speak, present, research and build the skills needed for college and career readiness. We envision this curriculum and staff collaboration to include discussion in social sciences of the every changing economic world we live in and how that brings different workers and cultures to our communities. We see this curriculum as an introduction to the amazing variety of economic opportunities with-in the agricultural business and natural resources associated with those areas.
Industries of Focus:
Wheat, Beef, Cranberries, Hazelnuts, Grass Seed, Orchard Fruits, Fish, Shell Fish, Vita-Culture, Wood Products, Wind Power, Hydro-Electric Power, Solar
Possible Excursions:
Oregon Wheat Growers Association, Oregon Wheat Commission, Painted Hills Ranches Beef Processing Centers
Painted Hills Offices and or Guest Speakers
Oregon Cranberries Grower Association, Oregon Grass Seed Commission
Hazel Nut Growers Cooperative
Oregon Oyster Farm, Pacific Shellfish Institute
Oregon Wine Growers Associations
Various Lumber Companies and Mills
Bonneville Power Administration
PGE
The 7th and 8th graders, under the supervision of Larry Conaway, will then decide what they will grow and how much room thye need for cultivation.
If the idea of 8 cruise courses goes into effect next year, then Larry Conaway will have a 7th period class that does the garden 1st and 4th quarter. 2nd and 3rd quarter he would teach wood shop. This gives the garden an adult in charge, to plan and implement the team of Junior High students to tend the garden. They would sell their product each fall and use the money as a start up to their class money they have in high school.
Grade School Natural Resources Areas of Srudy
Quarter themes (a unit within the quarter)
- 1st quarter- Trees
- 2nd quarter – Water
- 3rd quarter – Land
- 4th quarter – Stewardship
Fall ideas farm to table (will rotate 1 a year)
- Apples
- Pumpkins
- Peaches
- Potatoes
- Corn
- Fish – salmon
- Roots (digging)
- Planting fields
- Carrots
- Cherries
- Bee hives- honey
- Sally’s Greenhouse
- Hanging baskets
- Wool to yarn
- Train ride to orchards
- Big bite
- Warm Springs/ Umatilla tribes
- Windmills
- Painted Hill
- Blue Basin
- Boat ride on Gorge
- Mary Hill
- Pumpkin patch- Redmond or Hood River
We began the process of theses site based learning experiences in 2016-2017. Our staff met several times to create a comprehensive 4-year plan. Here is what the students have had the opportunity to see and do in the past two years while we also have 2018-2020 planned:
2016-2017 Fall: Southern Oregon Coast to study the Cranberry Industry and Tidal Estuaries
Spring: Shellfish Farming in the Puget Sound, MoPop museum in Seattle as well as a Mariners game
2017-2018 Fall: Roaring Springs ranch and the Steen’s Mountain wilderness area. Land rehabilitation, soil and water conservation, renew habit for wildlife.
Spring: Astoria, Oregon Crab fishing seafood processing, Bar Pilots and the whole economic impact of the Columbia river shipping and ports. Fort Stevens State Park, Fort Clatsop, and a robotics class at the Maritime Museum.
2018-2019 Fall: Willamette Valley to study Hazelnuts, Blueberries, Grass Seed, Nursery stock.
Spring: Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument and Museum, Custer State Park, and Yellow Stone National Park
2019 – 2020 Fall: Bend, Ashland, Roseburg, and Crater Lake, to study Tourism, Timber, Outdoor Pursuits and we spend a day at the theater in Ashland learning the behind scenes of what it takes to put on a play at the Shakespearian Festival, as well as attend a play.
Spring: Wallowa Oregon region, Eagle Cap Wilderness, to study ranching and farming, Wolf habitat protection, Snake River and Hells Canyon.
Our goal is to introduce our students to what the great state of Oregon offers in its varied regions.
The rich history in each region, what today holds for economic prosperity in the natural resources that our
state producing, and what the future looks like in all these regions as our state population grows. We want
our students to see themselves
We have been blessed that our school board supports these trips and the richness that these experiences add to our high school student’s education.