Page 14 September 2013 Tavan out-ed program inspires kids to get moving By Danika Worthington Kids line the sidewalk holding signs and shouting words of encouragement as a bus rolls out of Tavan Elementary School carrying a fifth-grade class off to Prescott. Tavan has provided Outdoor Education for the graduating elementary school class since 1984. Initially just an afternoon at Papago Park started by then-principal Bruce Burns, the program has grown to a three-day trip to Prescott, said fifth-grade teacher Jenny Martin, who manages the program. “A lot of the kids have never been in the trees or the mountains,” fifth-grade teacher Shelly Rose said. “We drive up the hill and they see (the woods), you get the ‘Wows.’” Students stay busy looking for animal tracks, hiking, singing campfire songs and other outdoors activities, Rose said. Students also work on team building skills and overcoming their fears through sports, skits and rock-wall climbing, Martin said. For many students, this is the first time they are playing team sports, said Rose, who organizes the physical education on the trip. Arcadia High School junior Bailee Miracle attended Tavan for elementary school and fondly remembered the trip, especially her time zip lining. “I was standing up there and I was really hesitating about going. And I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to go’ and the guy just pushed me,” Miracle said. “I’m glad that the guy just pushed me because it was fun. I probably would have chickened out but the guy was like, ‘you’re going’ and he pushed me. I was holding up the line.” When many schools are forced to cut programs due to financial reasons, Tavan has worked to keep the program alive, Martin said. Continued on page 15 Physical fitness is a large part of the Out-Ed Program, including hiking and obstacles. NextCare Urgent Care ( formerly Arcadia Urgent Care ) “New Name, Same great staff & quality medical care” Just in case you missed a day... 1-877-659-0342 NextCareAZ.com 4730 E. Indian School Rd. Suite 211 Phoenix, AZ 85018 M-F: 8:00am - 8:00pm Sat: 9:00am - 5:00pm Sun: 2:00pm - 8:00pm (Indian School Rd., just W of 48th St.) 480-970-8232 • www.SpanishTime.com 6722 E. Avalon Dr. Ste. 3, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 • Toddler / Preschool • Kindergarten / Elementary • Classes & Private Lessons Enroll 2013 - 2014 Now Enrolling For 2013-14 School Year e Full and Half Day Preschool; Mon-Fri – 7am to 7pm e Before and After School Care e Infant, Toddler and Preschool Programs for Ages 0-6 S.E.E.K. Early Learning Center 1848 N. 52nd St. | Phoenix | 85008 www.SEEKEarlyLearning.org 2 Weeks FREE with Registration! To enroll or tour: 480-902-0771 3641 Fall Kic Child Yout

Page 15 September 2013 Students do not have to pay for the trip. Instead, the school finances Outdoor Education through tax credits, a snack bar run by students and various fundraising efforts. “It’s hard for a Title I school to keep this going. It’s really hard. It takes a lot of work, a lot of pushing,” Martin said. Title I is a classification given to schools with a high number or percentage of students from low income families, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Fridays after school, fifth-graders help run a snack bar for the school with food donated by parents, Martin said. “That way the kids also have ownership in it. They know they’re raising money for their trip and it’s a big deal,” Martin said. Miracle said she enjoyed her experience with the snack bar. “They didn’t do that at other schools so I think it teaches kids the value of money and counting and it really helped with the math skills. Plus, it’s cool to pass out the snacks,” Miracle said. The rest of the students eagerly await their turn to attend Outdoor Education as they buy snacks and see the fifth-graders depart to Prescott, Martin said. “It’s really exciting to think, ‘that’s going to be me in five years’ and ‘that’s going to be me in three years,’ and ‘one more year,’” Miracle said. But once a fifth-grader, Miracle said the experience is “bittersweet.” Campers learn survival skills. “It’s exciting, this is after I’ve waited all year for this like you’ve waited since kindergarten to do it,” Miracle said. “But then it’s like ‘Wow, I’m a fifth-grader and this is my last hurrah before fifth grade is over and then it’s time to be a middle schooler.’ It’s a little scary.” The Outdoor Education program is an experience students remember for a long time, Rose said. “Older kids at high school, college, they still talk about it,” Rose said. Martin encouraged people interested in donating their tax credits to email her or Rose at jmartin@susd.org or srose@susd.org. Team building is a theme of the Out-Ed trip. of the Out-Ed stacles. about the school’s history, campus, teachers and curriculum. .For seventh graders Noelle Tessmer, Bryce Grove and Thomas Goodwin deciding to become an ambassador was an easy decision. “I wanted to do it because I really love Ingleside and wanted to show others how great it is,” Noelle said. For Thomas it was an extension of other school commitments. “I was excited to get involved,” Thomas said. “I’m apart of the TLC (Trojans Learning to Care) Club and I thought this was another great way to help people.” With 26 ambassadors, the kids are put in teams of two to lead tours. One student, however, can do a quick-schedule tour. “They paired us up like yin and yang,” Bryce said. The students were put together to accentuate their strengths and weaknesses. Their personality and personal interests also were taken into account. “We wanted to group kids together to create the best team,” said Sue Tessmer, Ingleside PTO president. “A boy who plays sports and a boy in choir work well because they have different information to bring to the tour. They can explain more than two students with the same interests.” Not only does the Ingleside Student Ingleside Continued from page 12 Ambassador program help new families entering or considering the school, it benefits the ambassadors. “We thought it was a great way to prepare the kids with the new campus and allow them to take ownership of their school,” Tessmer said. “The kids are so proud of the new Ingleside.” The seventh graders’ passion for the program and their school comes through as they rattle off school information, speak clearly and make eye contact. “Sue took the time to really train these kids,” said Chad Caudle, Ingleside’s new principal. “We had kids involved in tours before, but nothing like this.” 3641 N. 56th Street, Phoenix • 480-945-9537 • www.popphoenix.org Northeast corner of 56th St. and Indian School Fall Kick-Off at Prince of Peace - Sunday, September 8 Children’s Ministry at 9:00 a.m. • Traditional Worship at 9:00 a.m. New Contemporary Worship at 10:30 a.m. Youth Groups on Sunday Nights @ 5:00 p.m. (starting September 8) Food, fun and faith for Middle School and High School students. 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