experiential learning

In addition to the many day-trips to local cultural and natural attractions, each spring, all three Middle School grade levels participate in experiential learning programs away from campus.

The sixth and seventh grades benefit from outdoor education programs in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Marin Headlands. The goals of the outdoor education programs are to foster adolescent independence and provide students with opportunities for team building and collaboration, as well as teach the students how to be stewards of the land, and model sound ecological and environmental ethics.

The eighth grade students spend five days discovering United States history and government in and around the nation’s capital. Students participate as historians while exploring the Capitol Building, Smithsonian Museums, and other historically important venues—putting themselves in the shoes of those who made key decisions that have affected our history. Side trips to Jamestown and Williamsburg are also included in this journey.

Below is a sampling of some of the field trips that were taken in the 2007–2008 school year.

Week-long trip to historical sites in Washington, D.C.
Outdoor Education overnights
Asian Art Museum
Chamber Theatre
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
San Francisco Zoo
San Jose Tech Museum