“”Summit Environmental School provides students with a solid educational foundation in the core academic areas with an environmental focus integrated throughout. Units of study emphasize hands-on, outdoor experiences for the students using different outdoor education spaces established on and around the school site.
“We believe that the integration of environmental themes throughout our curriculum will help students to build important critical thinking and problem-solving skills while learning to be good stewards of the earth and its resources,” said Summit principal Dirk Hunter. “By integrating environmental concepts throughout the curriculum students will gain an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between natural systems and people.”
To help continue that mission of connecting, exploring, and engaging in the world around them, the school is thankful for the continued support of the La Crosse Public Education Foundation. With a Gold Star Grant award, classes throughout the school were supplied with all of the necessary tools to expand on Summit’s already impressive list of educational outdoor experiences by adding an annual ice fishing unit of instruction in the local Mississippi River backwaters surrounding the school.
For three days, Summit students learn the skills and strategies that surround a local ice fishing adventure. The hands-on lessons teach students ice fishing safety and overall ice fishing rules and regulations while expanding on educational elements of respecting, enjoying, and protecting their environmental resources.
“We’re investing in connection,” said Summit teacher Nick O’Keefe. “Activities like this complement the PE, science, and social studies lessons but also connect our kids to the natural world around them, introducing them to a lifelong form of recreation and physical activity promoting a healthy and active lifestyle and as a bonus, it’s a whole lot of fun.”””””[vc_gallery type=”flexslider_slide” interval=”0″ images=”16745,16752,16747,16746,16748,16749,16750,16751,16757,16753,16755,16754,16756,16758,16759,16760″ img_size=”625×417″]””
