OWOSSO - Thoughts from Owosso Public School Superintendent Dr. Andrea Tuttle: Just sit right back And you’ll hear a tale A tale of a fateful trip, That started from this tropic port (Sutton’s Bay), Aboard this tiny ship (it wasn’t really that tiny). The mate was a mighty sailin’ man, The Skipper brave and sure, Thirty passengers set sail that day, For a three hour tour, A three hour tour (it was really 4 hours). If money were no object, would the way we educate our youth look differently? Before you read further, please take a moment to really think about this question. . . If money were no object, I believe students would rarely, if ever, sit in a classroom. Instead, they would engage in hands-on experiences that facilitate learning. Maybe our youth would have opportunities to travel around the State of Michigan, the United States, and the world to be enveloped in different cultures, occupations, people, life, etc. fi rst hand. Recently, due to the efforts of our fourth grade teachers and the support of community members’ donations, every fourth grade student in our great schools embarked on a thrilling trip that was application based learning at its best. For many students, this trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity through the Inland Seas Education Association. Their mission is, “Protecting the Great Lakes through education”. Owosso fourth graders traveled to Sutton’s Bay and boarded the 112 foot schooner “Manitou” or the 77 foot “Inland Seas” to become scientists for the day. As part of the schooners’ crew, inclusive of trained volunteers, our Owosso students collected and analyzed specimens from the Great Lakes. Not only were the students scientists for a day, but they were actively involved in anchoring the ship, raising the sails, and they each had an opportunity to be at the helm of the ship. “The onboard curriculum is designed to complement the Michigan Curriculum Framework Science Benchmarks in physical, biological, and earth sciences, as well as history and geography.” (schoolship. org/schoolprograms/school-science-fi eld-trips) The following comes directly from the Inland Seas website: Inland Seas Education Association is a non-profi t organization whose mission is to help people of all ages experience the science and spirit of the Great Lakes through hands-on, experiential learning activities aboard a traditionally-rigged tall ship schooner. The knowledge gained through these experiences will provide the education, understanding, and commitment needed for the long-term stewardship of the Great Lakes. ISEA was established in 1989 to provide aquatic science, environmental awareness, and sail training classes for learners of all ages. Classes are conducted aboard tall ships to complement traditional classroom studies in ecology, history, geography, ge-ology, biology, chemistry, and meteorology. The experience is a one in a life time opportunity for most and an experience that our students Inland Seas Education Association has been working to protect the Great Lakes and foster the next generation of scientist, and we are happy to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Our one-of-a-kind unique approach to educa-tion, science, and stewardship of the Great Lakes has been the key to the organizations success. 2014 is a very special year for the organization as it hits several key milestones and accomplishments. Since the organization was established in 1989, we have had the opportunity to impact the lives of people of all ages and we are excited that this May we will welcome our 100,000 young, future scientist aboard the ISEA schooner, which will also be celebrating a milestone as the boat hits its 20th anniversary. In addition, the organization will be celebrating its 25th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of our education center building. These accomplishments have been made possible by your donations. What our fourth grade students experienced in one day on a tall ship is something that a teacher, no matter how great, would not be able to provide in a classroom. I want to sincerely thank our fourth grade teachers for making this learning adventure a reality. I also want to sincerely thank our community who donated $1500 which provided student scholarships for the trip. Our students traveled on Indian Trails busses for the four hour tour (not a three hour tour, for those “Gilligan Island” fans) to Sutton’s Bay for this incredible experience. Although the amount of money does precludes an experience like this every day, Owosso strives to provide as many of these real-world learning opportunities as possible for our students because they are worth it. If you read this column each week, you will hear all about these unique experiences that Owosso students are involved with on a regular basis. Fortunately, there were no stranded castaways, the ship returned safely, and all our scientists made it home. So, join me here each week my friends, You’re sure to get a smile, from one Superintendent here at Owosso Public Schools! Last week’s riddle: Jenny almost missed the plane for her flight to China. On her way to the terminal, there were seven other girls walking in the opposite direction. Each of these girls had eight purses and each purse had two dogs. How many in all were on the plane? Answer: Just one. The other seven were walking in the opposite direction so they were heading away from the plane. This week’s riddle: Which eight-letter word still remains a word after removing each letter from it? Proud to be a Trojan, Dr. Andrea Tuttle Superintendent
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 01:42:07 +0000
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