Students and teachers at JCS routinely take learning beyond the confines of the school walls. We offer a wide range of experiential opportunities that are academically integrated and at times both physically and intellectual challenging.
You might see JCS students at the beach analyzing kelp, on Main Street sketching, in studios interviewing local artists, at Memorial field playing Ultimate Frisbee, at the American Legion Hall interviewing veterans, in longboats or the boat shop at the Northwest Maritime Center, or in the park testing the catapults they built in Physics class.
Specific experiences are planned to take advantage of curriculum integration, student and faculty interest, and availability. Jefferson Community School offers a blend of traditional classroom learning and experiences, yet our commitment to experiential learning is strong.
During the 2012-13 school year, JCS students
- Spent a day in field work learning about primitive skills with a local naturalist
- Traveled to Seattle to see the King Tut exhibit
- Experienced micro-plastics workshops at the Marine Science Center
- Received instruction in navigation and charting in the NWMC lab
- Traveled to Friday Harbor to visit the UW Marine Science Lab and the Whale Museum
- Learned about the history of the coffee trade at a local coffee shop
- Participated in an Education Roundtable with a local candidate
- Attended the movie Life of Pi as an extension lesson in Language Arts
- Worked regularly in the NWMC boat shop
- Spent a week sailing on the schooner The Adventuress
- Regularly assisted elementary students and teachers at Swan School
- Hosted community luncheons or teas with guests who spoke about neuroscience, philosophy, filmmaking, and the immigrant experience.
- Rode bikes to Quilcene and camped for the end of year retreat
- Trained in longboats on a regular basis and took a culminating 6 hour longboat trip
- Teamed with an intergenerational singing and songwriting experience as videographers
- Visited local farms and farmstands in their study of “Farm to Table” for health class
- Volunteered on MLK Day at Chimacum Creek to help remove invasive species
- Visited local artist studios and galleries in art class
Our various partnerships with local organizations give us many opportunities to both contribute and connect to the community.
JCS students also participate in expeditions that align with the curriculum each year. The ultimate goal of any JCS expedition is to immerse our students in a different culture, a new place, or an interesting experience, with the inevitable result of developing both resilience and personal growth (See Expeditions.)
