Community Service

"Personally, I think community service to be a bit tiring at times, but despite that, I think it's a great thing to be a part of. For instance, at Madrona Marsh we had the opportunity to clean up the marsh a bit by pulling weeds, planting seeds, etc.. Though the work may have been grueling and long, we had the chance to learn how to plant."

"It feels really good to do something that benefits my school and myself. This is very important because it teaches us responsibility."
- Josh T.

I actually somewhat enjoy the community service day. It is a different way of interacting with your fellow classmates, and you learn something about them every time - plus you get out of class."
- Josh B.

Group Response System

"The "clickers" help with class discussion allowing us to put many different answers or opinions than raising your hand can do. It's makes class quick and often fun."

"Clickers" remote learning devices allow for student input. These add many benefits to the learning experience, allowing one to have one's voice heard, and to give a better understanding of the lesson's impact to the teacher. Also, my personal learning experience was greatly improved through the use of said "clickers", as I was able to give my input on day-to-day lessons, and this helped me to better understand the given material."

"I like the devices because it provides a hands on experience for us students. It brings us into the lessons and we actually want to pay attention. It's a great way to learn."
- AmyLynne

"The benefits of using "clickers" in class are that it allows students to participate not only visually, but with these devices. The clickers easily create interest in what is being taught, and even if the subject isn't at all interesting, students are forced to pay attention anyways."

(There's more information about the Group Response System on the Academics page).

End of Year Trip

"Last year was my first experience going on the end of the year trip. It was very fun and exciting. I had a blast getting to know more people. The end of the year trip basically brought us as a school closer together. People/students grew closer in their friendships with each other. It certainly was a good trip. I remember when it was my birthday and Lisa and Betsy woke me up at midnight asking happy birthday to me. Then in the morning I walked down to breakfast and the whole school sang for me. I will never forget that day. My friends even attempted to make a cake by buying a smores kit. I think the best part of the trip was walking around San Francisco, because that was my first time going. I totally loved this trip - it was fun."

"It was definitely a fun experience. One drawback through, was the arrangement of the driving. It was nice at first to be able to meet new people, but near the end it was somewhat annoying. River-rafting was a wonderful experience; something I've never done before. I'm definitely going to make sure I'm in Mr. Nickolai's room this year because my fellow students can get very rowdy and somewhat annoying if you're trying to sleep. Definitely a good mixture of free time an scheduled events."
- Kyle

"The end of the year trip is amazing! It is a way to "bond" with fellow students, get to know them better, and say your good-byes to the Seniors. I can't even describe how fun these trips are. Because our school is so small, it allows us all to be like one big family together for a whole week. You have to experience the togetherness in order to understand how amazing it is."

"I like the end of the year trip because it's something few high schools do. It's a chance to get to know your fellow classmates and grow closer. I have been on two so far - I have two more to go - and I really think my class as a whole is better because of them. At least once a week, someone brings up a memory from the trips. We just now (as we were writing this) started sharing memories again. It's a great way to bond with classmates."

"I really like the end of the year trip, and I thinK it's a great, relaxing way to end off the school year. Not only do you get to know the friends that you normally hang out with better, but you have a chance to get to know other people as well. Both trips, house boating and white water rafting, were great. I've never done either before I cam to this school. Even the camping we do on both trips is a fun experience as well."

"The end of the year trip was tons of fun. It was great being able to visit beautiful places with my friends. Even though I'd visited most of our destinations, they were still good choices. My favorite thing was the white-water rafting. The advisors were very fun, and they let us try lots of adventurous things. Despite the many things that slowed us down (losing cars, getting lost...that's about it), it was worth it. Those things were often the most fun! Overall, the trip was one of the best parts of the year."

"The reason I like the end of the year trip is because even though we're not in the classroom learning, we are learning about nature. Also we get to spend time with friends and bond. The trip is a really interesting experience. You get to go to cool places and do some fun activities. Last year we went to San Francisco and we went camping. I had so much fun."

You can view the 2008 Year End Trip pictures (courtesy of Jill Kawana).