5215 46th Ave S, Seattle WA 98118 | (206)252-6900





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Orca K-8 is a vital member of Seattle Public Schools. _____________________

Orca PTA is a member of the Seattle Council PTSA and the Washington State PTA.
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Orca K-8 is a Powerful Schools partner in education.

Powerful Schools works with Rainier Valley schools to support arts, mentoring, after school classes, tutoring, and writing experiences.
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Academics & Programs : Environmental Learning & Garden << back



Restoration of Native Plants along the Green River - Saturday, May 10 2008
NOTES FROM OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Green River Field Trip
Orca’s fourth and fifth graders got on two school buses on Friday morning 5/2/08 and headed out to the Green
River in Kent to work with EarthCorps staff on restoration and exploration of the riverbeds there.     Read More... ]
Environmental Evening February 13th 6:30-8:30 - Tuesday, Feb 5 2008
ORCA ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES EVENING
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13TH
6:30-8:30 PM, ORCA LUNCHROOM

WIN PRIZES!
SEE PLANS FOR THE NEW GREENHOUSE AND SCIENCE BUILDING!
RACE IN A RECYCLING RELAY!

The evening will provide an overview of the current and future Environmental Studies program at Orca along with hand-on activities and information about worm bins, farm to table, native plants, residential wind and solar energy, water conservation, local birds, and P patch gardening.
Contact TA McCann for further info or to help out.
229-9991 or tam@helpshare.com
    Read More... ]
MULCH at the P Patch - Sunday, Jan 13 2008
What an amazing day at ORCA for Melanie’s class and the Hillman City P-Patch!


I was inspired by the experience of Melanie’s 3rd grade children on Friday January 10th as we mulched our P patch beds. Rita Howard prepared a marvelous educational story about the scarcity of good land to garden and farm, and our need to protect the soil from washing away (erosion) and to build up it’s richness.     Read More... ]
Vermicomposting - Saturday, Dec 8 2007
Vermicomposting & Coir!

What's vermicomposting? Using red wiggler worms (very social and hungry little guys) in bedding of coconut husks (COIR) and paper to digest our table scraps from snacks and cafeteria to make rich, dark compost for our garden beds and reduce our waste.     Read More... ]
Wrapping up the National Gardening Association Adopt a School Program - Saturday, Dec 8 2007
ORCA GARDEN PROGRAM THANKS THE NATIONAL GARDENING ASSOCIATION AND ORGANIC VALLEY

Back in 2006, our Garden Coordinator Kenya Fredie registered ORCA into the Adopt a School Garden Program within the National Gardening Association (NGA). This program offered ORCA $2500 in funds for our garden as well as a special opportunity of a visit from local farmer. NGA believes that gardening helps children grow — mentally, emotionally, and physically. School gardens help students connect with nature and better understand where their food comes from, and they provide a context for teaching nutrition and encouraging healthy lifestyles. Gardens also provide opportunities for hands-on learning in subjects across the curriculum     Read More... ]
Visit Website ]
Building a Thoughtful Environmental Program - Tuesday, Nov 27 2007
Rita Howard, our Garden and Environmental Education Coordinator, has been hard at work laying the foundation of an integrated environmental learning program for all Orca students. She says, "Our contribution towards long-term environmental solutions will be to have educated and raised a generation that can do better than we have done."     Read More... ]
Garden Work Party November 17, 2007 - Sunday, Nov 25 2007
Parents come out and make the garden area behind the school better for kids this year!     Read More... ]
Green River Field Trip - Saturday, Nov 17 2007
NATIVE PLANT FIELD TRIP!

On October 22nd 2007, Matt and Laura's 4-5th grade students went with Rita Howard, our Environmental Education Coordinator, to the Green River to help complete a riverbank restoration project constructed this summer by King County.     Read More... ]
Harvest Festival 2007 - Sunday, Nov 4 2007
Harvest Festival October 24th 2007! 

Despite the rain (with clear days on either side!), and under the big shelter of the basketball court, ORCA children and adults sampled an amazing Harvest Day.

As one teacher noted, The Harvest Festival " was amazing and the food was terrific. Of course, any good event starts off with good food!!" Maidi (1st and 2nd grade)

Activities included cornhusk doll making, pumpkin carving, salsa making (with ingredients donated by Alvarez Farms), apple cider pressing, PCC Mobile Van healthy snack tasting, and 
and more. The children came out in groups, including the Team A program and tried various activities and tasted lots of new foods with the help of many parent volunteers. Even though we're in between gardens right now, Rita Howard our Garden 
Educator was able to take some children to our nearby P-patch for harvesting cilantro the day before, and the kids got to see the connection between end of the summer/harvest before winter and the foods and activities they were trying out. 

HUGE thanks to Emily Nagel (1st grade parent and teacher's aide to
Marletta) for pulling it all together. She couldn't have done it without the big help from the Nutrition Committee including Michelle 
Perkins, Tiana Colovos, Kate Malkin for running the hand apple press and arranging the PCC Mobile Van. Michelle Huse and Cheryl Carter did pumpkin carving, Tamara
Guyton and Jodie Nathan did corn husk dolls, Beth Scott & Elizabeth Rifer organized the 
food table and wrangled classrooms, and Mike Leitner did scarecrow
building. Other crucial helpers were Wendy Rasmussen, Chrys Kim, Rod Gleysteen, Aimee MacLeod, Phyllis Daniels, Tom Whisenand, Simone Davis, Neil Fox, Laura McAlister, Teresa McCann, David George, Heather Heins, Abbey
Maschmedt, and of course our dedicated & talented volunteer coordinator, Deb Koon. One child exclaimed after tasting the apple cider he'd just pressed..."This is the bestest drink I've ever had in my whole life!" That alone was worth all of the time and energy it took to pull off the festival. Many thanks to all of you who sent in food, or helped in some other way.

This Harvest Festival was a treat for all.




Click to view / download the attached file(s):
  Harvest_Festival_2007.doc








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