"Kids Not Cuts": First Place Students Advocate in Olympia

“Kids Not Cuts!” was the Have a Heart for Kids Day theme this year. More than 4,000 people from throughout the state gathered in Olympia on Monday, February 15th to rally for the issues that are most important to Washington’s kids.

Have a Heart for Kids Day is a yearly lobbying day organized by The Children’s Alliance to bring attention to the issues affecting children who often are not able to advocate for themselves.House Bills important to our students and parents right now include:
House Bill 3177 Housing Trust Fund & House Bill 1956 authorizing the housing of homeless people on property owned or controlled by a church.

Early Monday morning students, parents, teachers and volunteers loaded buses at First Place to head to Olympia for the annual Have a Heart for Kids Day rally.
In anticipation of the day, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classes researched bills the House and Senate are considering right now and wrote letters to their legislators telling how they felt about those bills and whether they should pass. Here are a few excerpts from letters written by First Place students:

Dear Representative Pettigrew,

I am writing in regards to HB 3177.

My family and I live in a shelter. If my parents didn’t find shelter we would be homeless. My family now has hope for a better future. I think it is really important to pass this bill because in the future families like mine will need a safe place to live.

Dear Representative Chopp,

I ask for your support for HB 1956, authorizing the housing of homeless people on property owned or controlled by a church.

Recently in my school’s neighborhood, a church hosted tent city. They never messed with anybody and they looked happy and peaceful. I think it’s better that they stay there than under the free way. Please consider this bill.

Dear Representative Orwall,

I am writing in regard to House Bill 2621. I want to pick this bill because it will keep our children current with technology by providing opportunities for specialized learning.

I think this is a good plan because I go to a school that has small classes and personal instruction. We do lots of learning projects like this letter to you. Our school gets lots of support from local businesses and community volunteers. I have gone to my school for 2 years and it has been a good experience and I have learned a lot.

Please vote for this bill so it can help other kids learn more about science, technology, engineering, and math.

Student letters also talked about funds for school nurses, support for animal protection laws, and, of course, more time for recess.
During the day Representative Eric Pettigrew and Speaker of the House Frank Chopp took time to meet with First Place students and their parents, and listen to their letters and stories.

Other exciting parts of the day included marching through the capitol campus up to the steps of the Legislative Building, joining a rally of 4,000 people calling for steps toward a healthy economic future for Washington kids. First Place students made and carried signs with slogans like “Kids Not Cuts!” and “Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation” to support programs that are vital to the health and success of kids.

Most importantly, First Place families saw that their stories and presence do make a difference in how legislators think about and respond to issues and they know that their voice is an important one.

ABC's of Ecosystems - Day 4 at Islandwood

On our last day at Islandwood students and staff had mixed emotions about our camp experience. On one hand, we are excited to come home and see our friends and family. At the same time, we will miss the Islandwood staff and the friends we have met over the past week. Overall, the trip was a success and we will be bringing back great memories of our Islandwood camp experience.
This morning after breakfast we spent time in the lodge packing for the trip home. Then, students went back out into the field for one more outdoor experience with nature. Students talked with their field group instructors about what they have learned this week at camp. Many students reflected on all of the new experiences they had at camp, "I had never seen a banana slug before!", and "I had never seen a deer before", "I never thought I could be away from my mom for this long", or "I was afraid to be in the woods, but now I see that its a lot of fun!"

Students also reviewed of the ABC's of ecosystems, Abiotic, Biotic and Cultural, and made plans to work with students from other schools to become better stewards of our environment.

Islandwood was such a unique experience and we are sad to see it end, but we look forward to applying what we have learned about our environment and bringing this new information back to our First Place family.
After our final meeting at the Friendship Circle, we said goodbye to our friends at Islandwood, and headed home.

Drumming and Lunch on the Beach - Day 3 at Islandwood

Wednesday was our last full day at camp. First Place students watched a video at Islandwood's Learning Studio on the history Bainbridge Island and Blakely Harbor. They learned about different people from around the world that settled at Port Blakely over one hundred years ago and what life was like on the island back then. Some students asked, "What was life like for kids back then?" and "Why did people settle at Bainbridge Island instead of Seattle?"

Next they explored the history of the island even further by hiking three miles to the beach to explore animals and plants in that ecosystem. Students had lunch on the beach and then hiked back to campus where they participated in a drumming workshop in the Art Studio. Students learned how to play a beat on the Djembe, a popular West African drum, and learned a song in a West African language, which meant, "Welcome. I greet you with my mind, my lips, and my heart. I come in peace."
The highlight of the day was the evening Campfire Ceremony where students from different schools performed skits, poems, and other special talents. One of our students teamed up with a student from Roxhill Elementary and performed a breakdance routine. At the end of the night, we had our own talent show back at our lodge and students prepared to end their week at camp.

FP Students Sing to Banana Slugs - Day 2 at Islandwood

Now that the students have settled in comfortably at camp, our second day was all about learning to work together as a team.

Students in Team Pond started their day by playing an interactive game called "Owls, Mice and Seeds", an Islandwood favorite that teaches students the importance of the food chain, animal survival, and how different elements in nature may impact the food chain.
First Place students interacted with students from Bennett Elementary, and then participated in a ropes course in the Islandwood team course. Students had to work together as a team to complete a task and ultimately reach their goal of achieving team work. After lunch, Team Pond went to the garden, and sampled different foods growing in the Islandwood garden. Students also picked foods from the garden, and worked with Islandwood's kitchen chef's to prepare the dessert for tonight's meal- Apple Crisp and Pumpkin-Raisin cookies.

Along the journey today, students saw a banana slug. They were told that the banana slug would respond to singing, and the whole group burst into song, singing "Banana slug, Banana-nana-nana Banana Slug!"Some of the First Place staff's highlights from the day:

"I am noticing students working together and getting along."
"Islandwood helps students appreciate the environment as well as each other."
"I love that students who don't normally socialize together, are taking the time to make new friends."
"The students seem engaged and excited about science!"

Some of the students' highlights from the day:

"The pancakes at breakfast this morning were my favorite."
"I wanted to take the banana slug home with me!"
"I saw a decomposing bird in a tree and lots of fungus growing on trees in the woods."
"I saw a deer right outside our lodge, and took a picture!"
"I can't wait for dinner!"
"I learned about different kinds of mushrooms and which kinds of fungi are poisonous."Read about Day 1.

Check back tomorrow for more updates.

First Place Students at Islandwood Nature Camp

Yesterday, Monday, November 2, 2009, the 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes headed to Islandwood on Bainbridge Island to participate in the School Overnight Program which uses the environment as a catalyst for learning.


First Place students and staff will be sending pictures and updates every day for the blog. Here is the first update:
Our first day at Islandwood was one of overwhelming excitement. The class was broken into two groups, Team Pond and Team Wave. It was non-stop activity starting with a hike to Mac's Pond where we got on a "floating classroom" raft that the students powered by turning a crank. After drawing the gorgeous lake scene we went back to our spectacular lodge, the "Bird's Nest", which has soaring ceilings, a fireplace and wonderful hot showers.

After a delicious turkey dinner with pineapple upside-down cake for dessert, Team Pond went on a night hike with no light except a very faint moonlight. That was exciting enough, but about halfway through our instructor Ms. Erin had us put on blindfolds for a "trust" walk. Holding on to each other we silently and swiftly made our way onto a footbridge at least 50 feet above a ravine.

What did the students think?
"The hike was scary, fun... It was fun to learn."
"It was scary...the bridge was shaking."
"It was creepy and I was really brave."


The other half of the class was inside learning to recognize fox and coyote scat (poop) and participating in an Ecosystem Challenge where they worked in small groups with students from Bennett Elementary and Roxhill Elementary to observe, describe and draw an ecosystem. Students also spent a lot of time today getting to know the Islandwood staff and learning the Islandwood way of life.

Team Wave said:
"The food at Islandwood is delicious!"
"I liked when we went to the Learning Treehouse and talked about how to respect nature."
"I liked eating at the dining hall and learning how to conserve food and how to use table manners."

Check back tomorrow afternoon for another update.

No names were used to protect the identity of the students.

Inside the walls of First Place

This week we want to share with you the classroom and program updates from our monthly parent newsletter.

Classroom Highlights! Students were asked to tell us "What is the highlight of your class?"

Update from Ms. Molly and Ms. Jenni in Kindergarten:
Kindergarten has celebrated twice this week, once by making green eggs for Dr. Seuss’ birthday and today for the 100th Day of School! We made necklaces with 100 rings on them, and counted many other objects to 100. We are continuing to work hard as we master sight words and improve our reading skills. We also are adding, subtracting, and measuring with rulers. Most of all, we enjoy playing, learning, and helping each other grow.

Ms. Kristy's 1st/2nd Grade Class:
“We learned about the season of the year and about how some people like winter better than other seasons. I like to learn about winter because that is the season that I can ice skate.”

“I learned about art like self portrait, making bugs, we also went for a nature walk looking for bugs.”

“I learned doing work and playing.”

“I learned to behave and to make cakes with play do.”

Ms. Nicole's 2nd/3rd Grade Class:
“I learned geometry and making a book. We were making shapes for geometry and learned words from geometry.”

“Currently we are learning about shapes and big words.”

“We learned shapes, words, we went on field trips, we went to pump it up gym, and I learned that we jump a lot.”

“We learned about oceans. There are different kinds of animals in the water. And different kinds of things that they do. We learned, in the ocean that the momma fish lay their eggs and then leaves them. They don’t stick around to care for them. It is called survival.”

Ms. Di's 4th/5th Grade Class:
“I learned fractions and I got finished with my work first before any one in my class yesterday and today. We went to Olympia trip with the 5th & 6th graders.”

“I learned fractions & time tables up to the 13’s. We had a field study to the African American Museum.”

“I went to the African American museum .”

“We learned about fractions, we did times table to 13’s.

“I went to the African American Museum with my class.”

“I’m learning about ways to write division in math.”

Ms. Tappin's 5th/6th Grade Class
“We are learning about National Women’s Month , aviation, and WWII. It’s fun. I got my sealant. I’m famous when we went to Olympia.”

“Me, and [my classmates] were on the front page of the Olympian Newspaper. We got to interview Dr. Cato for the National Women’s Month.”

Have A Heart For Kids Day Update

On Febrary 27, 2009 First Place 4th-6th graders (along with parents, staff and volunteers) traveled to Olympia to lobby for children’s rights. We attended Have a Heart For Kids Day, which is an annual lobby day sponsored by the Children’s Alliance.

Highlights of the day were:

• Attended a rally with Governor Christine Gregoire
• Met with state legislators
• Participated in activities with Tulalip Elementary School 5th graders
• Participated in a scavenger hunt at the Capitol Building
• Took a tour of the Capitol and Legislative Buildings
• Shared personal stories of success and challenge with our legislators
• Advocated for our school programs such as Building Bridges

In preparation for this trip, Ms. Di and Ms. Tappin have worked incredibly hard to teach their students about civics and advocacy. For example, in Ms. Di’s class, students followed the Obama campaign and aligned the K-Kids election with the presidential election. They explored the election process, and focused on ballot voting. Ms. Tappin and Ms. Di each brought in daily newspapers and discussed current events with their students, to develop an awareness of local and national issues.

Students learned key vocabulary words, and were asked questions like “What is the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship?" and "What are ethics?" Students also worked in their classrooms and in their info-skills class to learn what a bill is, and how it becomes a law and researched their state representatives, and learned about the role of government at the state level.

They also wrote letters to their legislators, lobbying for bills that were of particular interest to them. Some of their letters addressed important issues such as homelessness, foster care, health care, college funding, transportation, and more.

Thanks so much to Ms. Melanie, Mr. Art, Ms. Liz, Ms. Di and Ms. Tappin for organizing this vent and preparing our students for this experience!

View pictures of First Place students in Olympia
Read a prior post about Have A Heart for Kids Day.

Unsung Hero: Children's Alliance

Heroes are often thought of as having super-human powers. At First Place our heroes have super-human hearts. Some of them we have never met and some of them walk through our front doors every day. We want to share with you who our heroes are and the impact they have in the lives our children and families.

Our hero today is the Children’s Alliance. In addition to their work ensuring that laws, policies and programs work for kids, the Children’s Alliance is also the organizing force behind Have A Heart For Kids Day. Friday, February 27th, the annual Have A Heart For Kids Day will bring First Place students, parents and staff in partnership with over 500 child advocates from across Washington State to develop advocacy skills, learn about current laws supporting children and showcase their knowledge in meetings with legislators.

First Place has been a member organization of Children’s Alliance since 1989.

At the 2008 Have A Heart For Kids Day First Place teamed up with students from Tulalip Elementary school for a full day of advocacy and a tour of the Capital. Here are some photos from last year.

Above: Students had an opportunity to meet Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen and ask questions. Below: After lunch, Senator Claudia Kauffman addressed First Place and Tulalip Elementary students answering questions and explaining the importance of getting involved in advocacy and how it can make a difference to the community.
Below: From left to right Dr. Doreen Cato, Executive Director of First Place, Representative Eric Pettigrew and former First Place Board President Dawn Mason.

Check back next week for a full report on this year's Have A Heart For Kids Day. Thank you Children’s Alliance.

Day 4 at IslandWood Camp

Thursday, February 5, saw some First Place 4th, 5th and 6th graders ready to return home after four days of learning in the woods and laughing in the lodges, and others upset that they ever had to leave IslandWood.
After packing and giving a rousing applause to our IslandWood cooks, Team Marsh took one final outdoor adventure at the floating classroom. Fighting ducks, a surrounding of trees, and a lesson on maps while the water swished below was a calm end our week.What did the students have to say about the trip?

“It was so much fun and I didn’t want to leave! When we got on the bus I cried because I didn’t want to go home.”

“I had a lot of fun and there were a lot of games!”

“It was fun! We saw five deer on the way to camp.”

“It was long days.”

“I miss everyone, but it was exciting!!”

“I got to socialize more with others.”

Special Thank You's:
IslandWood coordinator Melissa, IslandWood instructors Whitney, Heidi, Corwine, Brian and Otter, and everyone else who made for a fantastic week.

Howard and Barabara Wollner for making the learning experience possible for First Place students.

REI for donating the use of sleeping bags for the trip.

First Place staff members Mr. James, Mr. Jamal, Ms. Carol, Ms. Di, Ms. Lakesha, and Ms. Tappin.

Day 3 at IslandWood Camp

The last full day, February 4th, at IslandWood was a long one for First Place 4th, 5th and 6th graders.
Long walks took Team Marsh for an early morning of bird spotting and crab catching in Puget Sound.Mastering their fears Team Wave crossed the forest suspension bridge on their afternoon walk to learn about the five kinds of trees they could reach out and touch the tops of.
Lots of preparation made perfect for the Team Pond Drum Circle at the evenings friend circle talent show.
Check back tomorrow for our final day!

Day 2 at IslandWood Camp

From 6:30am to 9:30pm on Tuesday, Feb. 3, First Grade 4th, 5th and 6th graders sped through field studies and lots of learning while playing at IslandWood. Because the students have been split into three field groups we're going to allow the pictures they and their field guides take to speak for the experience (with some modest explanations). Enjoy!

A new look on old lessons. First Place students from Team Wave relearned their ABCs (Antibiotics, Biotics and Culturals) with a hands (and feet) on experience in the forest, in the greenhouse and in the laboratory.

Each IslandWood activity has both time in the field and time in the classroom. As Team Marsh journaled on what they found in the organic-garden that provides food for our meals, Team Pond discussed their day-hike to the Harbor and a documentary on Bainbridge history.


Nature doesn't hold itself back at IslandWood. Break-time after an early breakfast brought a family of deer, hawks, eagles and adventurous squirrels.


At IslandWood there are a few constants. The Friendship Circle brings us all together every morning and evening. PROPS (Proper Respect of People Speaking) is expected of everyone equally. And the occasional chalk-board advertisement reminds of the things our different schools have in common.


Check back tomorrow!