Marymount Students Take Learning Outdoors with Trip to Marine Institute
http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/102112_marymount_students_trip_to_marine_institute/
By Molly Seguel for Marymount of Santa Barbara
Last month, the sixth-grade students at Marymount of Santa Barbara traveled to the Catalina Island Marine Institute to explore their natural surroundings and camp in Cherry Cove. The purpose of this annual trip is to give students an opportunity to explore experimental sciences and native sea environments.
“The greatest science lab lies outside of the classroom,” sixth-grade teacher Tim Pearson said. “It is there that children learn to question, explore and discover in a manner that turns play into learning and the other way around.”
In addition to an immersion in marine science, Marymount trips to CIMI involve much-loved traditions. One of these is a sunrise swim in the picturesque setting on the island. Another is the much-anticipated night snorkel in which students observe native sea life at night.
A willingness to stretch oneself and to try new things in a supportive environment and an enthusiastic “can-do” attitude toward learning are hallmarks of a Marymount education. Hands-on trips such as the sixth-grade trip to CIMI help extend independent research.
Students will continue their discovery through a formal research project and presentation in response to significant moments or activities of the CIMI adventure and how those moments impacted them on a personal level.
Marymount is an independent coeducational school, junior kindergarten through eighth grade, on a picturesque 10-acre campus nestled on the Santa Barbara Riviera. Building on a 75-year tradition of excellence, the educators at Marymount have crafted a unique learning experience that blends mastery of core subjects with acquisition of the essential skills students need to navigate and be successful in a rapidly evolving world.
— Molly Seguel is director of admissions for Marymount of Santa Barbara.
http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/102112_marymount_students_trip_to_marine_institute/