Pacific Rim International School

Friday, September 5, 2014

Phrase of the Day: September 5, 2014

點上蠟燭的燈籠很漂亮。
ろうそくのついた灯篭はきれいです。
The lanterns are beautiful with lit candles.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Phrase of the Day: September 4, 2014

我在暑假期間很想念明智德的朋友。
夏の間PRINTSの友だちに会いたかったです。
I missed my friends at PRINTS during summer.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Through the Eyes of A Child...

...Every Experience is New and Exciting

As we grow up, we often forget about the significance of everyday activities. To a new child, these actions and activities that we take for granted are new and challenging. At around three to twelve months old, we are constantly discovering ways to use our bodies to explore the environment around us.

I just put a ball into the hole. I want to find where it went. Is it in here...?

What's inside of this cabinet? It looks like one of the ones I have at home. Now I can open it myself and find out for myself.

On my second day of school, I learn to use the glass to drink.

Phrase of the Day: September 3, 2014

我的暑假過得很開心。
夏は楽しかったです。
My summer was a lot of fun.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Summer Camping Week in Mendocino, August 4-8, 2014

This year, our summer campers went a little further afield to the glorious Mendocino Coast. We camped in the spectacular Russian Gulch campground, just one mile north of the quaint town of Mendocino.

On our first day, we hiked up into the back of the forest to the beautiful waterfall that fed the creek running right by our campsites, out into the estuary of the ocean.

The woods were very beautiful, and even though the weather out on the coast was somewhat damp and foggy, we were able to appreciate the forests, ferns and creeks that comprise the Mendocino woodlands.

In this photo below, you can see the beach and estuary where our PRINTS students were able to spend time. The campground is situated under the bridge and backs up to the creek.

On our second full day, we decided to ride the "Skunk Train" from Fort Bragg east inland to an old logging camp. Much of this part of the the coast's history and economy is associated with logging, so we were able to learn a lot about how the railroads were built. Much of the labor was from China, so that was of particular interest to our students!

Here, we are riding through the forest, looking out for old-growth redwood trees that escaped the loggers' axes...

At Northspur, the old logging camp, we enjoyed our picnic lunches and listened to fun "old timey" western songs sung by a wonderful musician who played the banjo!

After our day on the train, we visited the famous "Glass Beach" in Fort Bragg and spent well over an hour collecting beach glass. It was an amazing experience!

Each day, we made a bag lunch so that we could be flexible and have lunch anywhere.

On our last full day, we went canoeing and kayaking on the Big River, just south of Mendocino. We worked really hard to paddle outrigger canoes. The scenery was amazing.