Program Updates – Art & Music – October 2024
Art Update: And we’re off! Off to a creative start in the art room! First there’s the 6th grade introduction to drawing which they can tell you is all about eye-hand coordination. We had fun using our drawing skills in a game called Exquisite Corpse (a term derived, naturally, from the Surrealists). Then it was…
Read MorePreparing for Middle School: Is your Fifth Grader Ready?
As fifth graders approach the end of elementary school, many families wonder how to best prepare for the transition to middle school. Explorer West’s Head of School, Barbara Frailey, shares her top tips to help students and families navigate this exciting and sometimes nerve-wracking transition with confidence. Middle school brings significant changes—new teachers, classes, and…
Read MoreOutdoor Adventures: Hiking with Tweens
Discover Family-Friendly Hikes in the Seattle area. Looking for fun and easy hikes to enjoy with your family? Here are some great local trails that are perfect for outdoor adventures. These hikes offer beautiful scenery and are close to our West Seattle community. Lincoln Park Just minutes from Explorer West Middle School, Lincoln Park offers…
Read MoreThe Importance of Outdoor Education
At Explorer West, we believe in the transformative power of the outdoors. Our students trade classroom walls for natural landscapes for ten days a year, taking unforgettable journeys that blend learning, adventure, and community. Fall Trips: Setting the Stage for Adventure Students gear up for three-day excursions designed to kickstart the school year with a…
Read MoreSocial Studies with Tim and Daniela
6th Grade: Before spring break students turned in a formal paragraph about Ötzi the Iceman, which concluded our unit on the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution. After break I led the class through an exploration of the concepts of belonging, fitting in, and identity. Using the prompt “I am _____ ,” students thought about what identifiers they…
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