Each year our 3rd-12th grades participate in our unique Traveling School Program. For one week each spring, our students and teachers take school on the road. Teachers tailor their curriculum to focus on the area, activities, and cultural events that students will get to visit first-hand. Students prepare for this journey through various homework and reading assignments that will help enrich their experience. Read on to learn more about some examples of our traveling school program.

Lower School Traveling School - Oregon History
For lower school students, academic work broke out of the classroom and into the state of Oregon itself, providing an exciting journey into Oregon's history and culture.

Students in grades 3-5 embarked on their Oregon adventure in May. They learned about the Lewis and Clark expedition while aboard the Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge, an authentic triple-deck paddle wheeler. After disembarking from the Sternwheeler, they continued on to the Maryhill Museum of Art, which featured many interesting art collections, including over 200 chess sets.

The next day, students traveled back 100 years to experience the West while taking part in the Pendleton Underground Tour. Their Oregon education continued with visits to the Umatilla County Museum, the Pendleton Woolen Mills, a visit to the Oregon Interpretive Center, and the Oregon Trail Regional Museum.

On Thursday, it was time to head outdoors to the Sumpter Valley State Heritage area, home to one of the oldest gold dredges in the country. Then it was time to stretch their legs and head out for a hike to Strawberry Lake for lunch. The day also included a visit to the Kam Wah Chung Museum, which featured artifacts and displays that showed the trials of everyday life for the Chinese labor force in the late 1800's.

Before driving back to school on Friday, students visited the John Day Fossil Beds and took part in a simulated dig at the Painted Hills Visitor Center.