Braving the cold, Pagosa Peak Open School students grades K-5 spent the day in the woods with Audubon Society Community Naturalist Keith Bruno and volunteers, exploring the abundance of nature at the Hershey Ranch.
Students bundled up and hiked in, where they identified parts of plants, went on bug hunts, discussed the life cycle, created habitats and reflected on animal survival techniques.
“Every single student learned and experienced something new,” Rue Graham, PPOS’s 4/5 teacher said. “Despite the chilly temperatures and cloud cover during the day, we had an excellent time.”
First through third-graders had the opportunity to overlap their pollination project in the classroom with the work they did at the ranch with further study of insects.
“My favorite game was the insect life-cycle relay,” Kelle Bruno, PPOS’s 1/2 grade teacher said. “Students began the relay by climbing into a burlap sack (the egg stage), then they crawled to a blanket (larvae stage), wrapped up in the blanket (pupae stage), and quickly unwrapped themselves and jumped up and flew (adult stage) to a marker, then returned to the next member of the team. It was a fun way to remember the life cycle of an insect.”
The classes each had their day on the ranch, and small groups were supported by parent volunteers. Students said they enjoyed their group activities.
“We went on a bug hunt and found a huge black and orange butterfly,” Quinn, 9, said about her small group work. “It was a surprise to find it because it was so cold!”
Students look forward to more field work and time working with Audubon throughout the school year.
Pagosa Peak Open School is open to all Archuleta County families, free of charge. The school does ask families to contribute certain activity fees, but payment of these fees is optional based on family income.
Colorado charter schools are publicly-funded, tuition-free schools typically founded by teachers or community members with the goal of developing innovative or alternative instructional methods. They’ve been seen as an important segment of Colorado’s education landscape ever since the General Assembly passed the Colorado Charter School Act in 1993. The state’s first two charter schools — Academy Charter School in Castle Rock and The Connect School in Pueblo — opened their doors in 1994. Also in 1994, the Colorado League of Charter Schools was founded to provide advocacy and support services to the growing charter school community. The League was instrumental in supporting the creation of Pagosa Peak Open School.
Emily Murphy serves as Assistant Director at Pagosa Peak Open School, the first District-authorized charter school in Archuleta County, working with students and staff on curriculum, assessment, instructional strategies and restorative practices.