— from the parents and students of the Class of 2021, via Kim Ihlenfeldt —
On behalf of Mrs. Freeman’s 6th grade class at Orcas Island Elementary School, we would like to express our gratitude to Orcas Island Community Foundation, Orcas Island Education Foundation, and former Chair of NatureBridge, Valerie Anders for their generous donations toward our trip to NatureBridge. Your generosity, paired with our student’s hard work at fundraising, made this an affordable experience for every child in our class.
For the past nine years, Orcas Island students have traveled with their classmates for a week of outdoor environmental learning in the Olympic National Park at NatureBridge, formerly Olympic Peninsula Institute. This bond-forming class trip has become a 6th grade initiation that students eagerly await as they approach their final year at Orcas Island Elementary School, where they become environmental stewards by actively engaging in environmental studies, learning about forest ecology, marine science, geology, earth science, and more.
It is often quoted as something the students look back on for years to come as one of the best childhood experiences they will ever have. The memories shared by our students are priceless. We are grateful for your donations to help continue the tradition.
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