Last week I had the opportunity to accompany the 7^th graders on their trip to the Grand Canyon. This is an amazing trip filled with adventure! We arrived in Phoenix where we boarded our busses and trekked to Montezuma's Castle just outside of Sedona, Arizona. There we learned about the native American tribes who build this amazing feat of engineering. Students learned about the lifestyle of these tribes and how environmental changes eventually led them to migrate to other areas. We continued our journey with a hike through the aspen groves on top of the San Francisco Peaks which overlook Flagstaff. Here the students saw how quickly the desert climate shifted to the mountain biome as it began to snow along our hike. That evening our group attending a tour of Powel Observatory, which is home to the telescope that helped to discover Pluto. Here students had the opportunity to view the rings of Saturn through a telescope as well as learn of NASA's most recent missions.  

The next morning we rose early to go mountain biking around Bell Rock in Sedona. We then traveled to Slide Rock where students saw how the process of erosion from running water can create a fun water slide within the bedrock. We rose early again the next morning and headed for the Grand Canyon. Students enjoyed amazing panoramic views of the Canyon as they hiked down the Kaibab trail ¾ of a mile below the rim. Students observed the sediment layers and even caught a glimpse of some ancient sea life fossils trapped within the Kaibab limestone. After our hike we enjoyed a little relaxing time on the historic Grand Canyon Railway. Along the way, students saw deer, elk, galloping antelope, and enjoyed the traditional cowboy entertainment of harmonica music. Thursday morning we headed to the Glen Canyon Dam where we boarded rafts for an amazing trip down the Colorado river. The shear cliffs of the canyon towered over our heads and revealed the long history of the canyon. Our adventure continued that evening with a visit to a local rock climbing gym. On the last day of the trip we traveled to the Hoover Dam where students toured and learned how humans have harnessed the power of the mighty Colorado river in order to provide water and power to our homes. Students then enjoyed the excitement of the Adventure Dome at Circus Circus in Las Vegas. Our tired crew then flew home, happy to see their families and share their adventures! A wonderful time was had by all!!!

Stephanie Conklin, JH Science Teacher

Congratulations to Kindergarten Teacher,

Heather Lopez