Beach & community clean up

What a busy week we have been having.  Yesterday, some of the classes got together for a video conference on ocean creatures, then went out to the beach to investigate tide pools.  It was so cool.  The weather didn't exactly cooperate, but through some form of luck, the beach trip was pleasant.  With the school's location up on the hill, the winds can be really bitter.  Trying to predict the weather for any sort of trip is difficult to do as it can change at any moment, or even vary from location to location.  Once at the beach there was a break in the mist and wind.  Myself and a few of the kids even took off our jackets.  Living here, one gets so used to the wind that when it stops, it feels like a heat wave regardless of whether the sun is out or not.

Then today, we did our community wide clean up.  It was very windy and overall, pretty grueling.  The kids muscled through it and made it back without incident.  Two people even found 50 dollar bills, which is no surprise with the hellacious winds that rip everything out of its place, including items from hands.  Sadly, one student found a twenty, but the more he grabbed at it, the more it disintegrated.  Once the cleanup had ended, everyone was bussed back and there was a yummy lunch, followed by a drawing with great prizes.  This event draws a lot of people in and the kids really look forward to it.  The incentive to do a good job is awarded with up to five tickets for kids, and adults get their name in a drawing as well.  Prizes range from bikes to toys.  For adults, there were small appliances rewarded and even a voucher for $500 worth of freight from Seattle.

One more day left, followed by an awards ceremony, and this busy week will be another week gone by.  Enjoy the pictures from the beach yesterday.

Dead jellyfish.  

Jellyfish size compared to the fork that a student was inspecting it with.

Mrs. J, what is this thing? It looks like a sea star.  We lucked out and had a very low tide.  Normally, this little guy would have been in the safety of the water.

A student holding a sea star.  This creature was so neat.  Its weight was really different than one may expect.  Holding the starfish was like nothing I have ever felt.  Dried out starfish that I've seen in stores are almost weightless and very fragile.  This sun starfish wasn't heavy, but it wasn't light either.  When touching it there was no mistaking that this was alive.  With bare hands it was cool to the touch and it slowly morphed around each finger and crevice of the hands as it settled. 

One more jab to say goodbye.