Welcome to Springwater Environmental Sciences School!
We are Oregon City's first public charter school, founded by a core group of parents committed to promoting an excellent sciences-based education and supported by the Oregon City School District. Springwater's curriculum, class and school size, rural location, and level of parent involvement all combine to make it a unique educational opportunity for interested students.
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Springwater Environmental Sciences School Offers Two Open Houses |
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Written by Paul Heimowitz
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Wednesday, 17 February 2010 |
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Parents interested in having their children attend Oregon City's one-of-a-kind environmental sciences K-8 charter school can learn more at two upcoming open houses. On Thursday, February 18 from 6:30-8 pm, and Saturday, February 27 from 10-11:30 a.m., families have an opportunity to visit the school and hear information about Springwater's educational program; unique aspects of the program like Friday Field Studies, artists in residence, and flow room; "nuts and bolts" information about schedules, transportation, etc.; and ask questions of the principal, staff, and current families. Information will also be provided regarding the application and lottery process, and applications and information packets will be made available. These open houses are mandatory for any prospective students interested in applying for the 2010-11 school year. Springwater is located at 16491 South Springwater Road in Oregon City. For more information, please e-mail
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or call (503) 631-7700.
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Singing the Blues While Staying Green |
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Written by Paul Heimowitz
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Tuesday, 09 February 2010 |
Springwater sixth and seventh graders have the blues this trimester, but in a good way. With the help of artist-in-residence Ellen Whyte, they are learning all about this diverse style of music...from its history to the secrets of writing a blues tune. And they're learning from a master - Ellen is a Grammy-nominated blues artist and active performer in the Portland area.
 Ellen wasn't much older than her River Otter students when she first heard the voice of Bessie Smith, "Empress of the Blues". Already an accomplished accordion player and performer, Ellen found this new sound more "hip," with lyrics that were more relevant to her life. She grew interested in the history of blues, and along the way discovered artists like B.B. King and Ray Charles. After raising her own children, Ellen "got hungry to perform again" and combined her love of blues, rock, and other styles into a variety of musical ventures in Portland. Awards soon followed, including honors from the Cascade Blues Association for "best female vocalist" in 2000 and Grammy nominations in 1999 for "best new artist" and in 2009 for "best contemporary blues recording" (for her CD "Four Way Stop").
Ellen notes that her involvement in school artist-in-residence programs "came out of left field". She had become a vocal coach, working with students of all ages, where she taught not just the fundamentals but the artistic side of singing...how to "perform" a song. An opportunity arose to lead a blues program at Carus School, and although it took some work to prepare a curriculum, she now loves this new role working with schools.
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"Reflection Walk" Illuminates Oregon City |
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Written by Paul Heimowitz
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 |
It was about hope. And community. And light. On January 29, commuters driving along Highway 99E through Oregon City witnessed a procession of Springwater families and friends bathed in the soft glow of candlelight. The candles burned within luminaries artfully created by the students in preparation for this evening walk along the Willamette waterfront. The event began at Clackamette Park, where donations of toiletries and other health products were collected for local individuals and families in need. Over one hundred people then began their "parade of hope" south along the new Willamette Trail. As they discovered the sculpted waterfalls and other public art displays along the route, participants reflected on their dreams for the new year.
 Arriving at Willamette Terrace, uplifted by remarks from walk organizer Lori Skiles, the students placed their written statements of hopes for 2010 into special containers. Messages ranged from a focus on the local community ("I hope we get more playground equipment") to wishes for the whole world ("I hope that Haiti gets better", "Save the polar bears from global warming!"). Musician Tiffany Carlson then serenaded the group with song and guitar while the walkers warmed up with hot chocolate.
Reflections continued as many contemplated the magical evening, such as Oregon City Public Works Engineer Aleta Froman-Goodrich, who noted: "It was truly gratifying to have this wonderful group make their touching ‘Reflection Walk' to the new Willamette Terrace, connecting to the riverfront, parading for their hopes and dreams, and thoroughly enjoying all the terrace's architectural and public art elements. The laughter, joy, and community friendship from these families congregating together was overwhelming."
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Written by Paul Heimowitz
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Wednesday, 27 January 2010 |
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Thursday afternoons can't come soon enough for many Springwater K-5 students...not because it's almost Friday, but because it's time for Flow Room! Flow Room provides an informal time for students to work in small groups with one or more adult volunteers to learn a new skill or explore a special topic outside of the classroom, with an emphasis on whole-brain learning. The current Flow Room session runs through February 11th and features a diverse range of activities. K-2 students have the opportunity to get delve into beading, choir, the winter Olympics, simple sewing, fitness games, or grounds crew. Third, fourth, and fifth graders can try their hands at photography, basic sign language, dance, henna, art collage, and - particularly popular this session - rocketry. The underlying focus of Flow Room is that students have multiple learning modalities. As Gardener's Seven Intelligences recognizes, students may be better learners spatially, or kinesthetically, or through music or language. Flow Room provides students with chances to learn in a wide variety of modalities, and lets students shine in areas that they may not be recognized for during more traditional classroom instruction. It also encourages students to push themselves by exploring new areas of interest that they haven't had experience with before, so that they can develop their ability to learn in a wider variety of modalities. Flow Room coordinator Alex Van Pelt is always eager to have help from parents, grandparents, and other adults in the community. "People are hesitant that they may not have a special skill to teach, but they don't have to be a professional in a subject," she notes. "It's all about sharing something they know and enjoy with the students." Alex can be contacted at 503-653-2771 or
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Imagination At Their Fingertips - Student Artistry In Clay |
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Written by Paul Heimowitz
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Sunday, 17 January 2010 |
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Sarah Ferguson, one of this year's artists-in-residence at Springwater, knows first-hand how art can build community. Trained in fine arts with experience in painting, sculpture, ceramics, and other media, she began bringing art into schools when her own children were young.  She joined the roster at Young Audiences about ten years ago, and now travels throughout the region working with schools to create permanent art installations and other multi-media projects. "Exploring art making processes allows each person to expand their visual vocabulary and make things with their hands; building, getting messy, making mistakes and finding solutions, and learning from each other as we work together," explains Sarah. In her role as artist-in-residence, Sarah acts as teacher, collaborator, and art director - sharing techniques, encouraging students and helping them solve problems, keeping track of everything, and very importantly she adds, "trusting the process." At Springwater, students returned from winter break to begin the brainstorming and planning stages. Working with all grade levels, Sarah notes that the students' knowledge of the natural world "is extraordinary and vital to the design of the different parts of the exterior installations we will be creating. All ages have had much to share as we discussed different possibilities for their work in clay, from the youngest ones' knowledge of insects and arachnids to the older students' awareness of how the earth is shaped by natural forces, and the specific biology of this region."
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