Native Plants Garden Takes Root!

Explorer West's Award Winning Sustainability Initiative lives on with a NEW NATIVE PLANTS GARDEN!

Last year, in October of 2006, our students planted 25 trees on campus, including an inauspicious circle of eight maple trees just south of the upper parking lot and west of the gym (see photo to left). Thanks to students' (and parents'!) tender loving care (planting, mulching, weeding, and watering), all 25 trees survived their first summer.

In the fall of this year the entire student body and faculty voted on student designs for a native plants garden. Dakota's design won for its star shaped layout and ambitious plant choices.

Supervised by Westside School parent and professional landscaper Matt Stanowich, with help from our David (drama) and Eric (PE), the garden plot was rototilled and composted in preparation for planting. Hardscrabble was transformed into welcoming and rich soil beds.

Every EW student participated in the planting, watering and mulching of native plant starters secured from local nurseries and the Seattle Arboretum -- whose knowing Master Gardeners have been generous with advice and donated plants. Our planting spree was just in time to beat the first frost. This fall planting gives the tender young plants winter months to settle and take root in anticipation of spring warmth and new growth.

Keep an eye out for soon-to-come permeable pathways and benches!

It's Snowshoe Time!

The Sixth Graders are once again designing and building their own snowshoes for use at Snoqualmie Pass in January. Under the tutelage of Cascade Designs Winter Products Manager, Lee Getzewich, students brainstormed various snowshoe features and narrowd down their design by testing different qualities. This year's design will focus on choosing materials for how well they hold up under pressure, tension, and shear as well as in cold and wet conditions.

8th Graders Test Buildings for Earthquake Resistance

The 8th grade science students culminated their study of Earthquakes today by testing their "buildings" on a shake table. Using what they had learned about building shape, mass distribution, and friction, teams competed to design a the tallest structure that would sustain a powerful earthquake. After each test, the class rated the amount of damage using the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. The winning building was over 6 feet tall! This activity connected this year's sustainability theme of "Structure" with the earth science curriculum.