Sierra Expeditionary Learning School

August- First Day of School: Students are excited to return to their crew mates and crew leaders for another exciting year of learning.
September- Back to School Night: Families get a taste of Expeditionary Learning in their children’s classrooms where they get to meet other parents and learn about the year to come.
September & January- HOWS 100: Our goal is that 100% of students acheive a “3” or better on their report cards. Each semester, we celebrate those who reach this goal.
October- SELS Summit Day: First graders lead the entire student body, staff, and 2-3 dozen parents on a hike up a nearby peak as a character and community-building day. They lead the whole school in solitude and reflection on a mountain top.

October- Student-led, Goal-setting Conferences are held twice a year during which students and their families meet with teachers to discuss student goals, accomplishments, and specific issues/topics.
October- Bear Walk: Around Halloween, we hold a themed community meeting and a costumed walk-a-thon on our track. Students collect pledges for the distance they walk or run, and the funds go directly to each classroom.
November- Math Morning: Parents join their students in their classrooms for a morning of math games and activities. Students are excited to teach their parents about the “new” ways to think about math.
January and June- Celebrations of Learning: Twice per year, we host an open-house-style evening that highlights student work. Students share their high quality work not just with their families, but with the whole community.

February- Family Dance: The PTC organizes a fun night for the community where students and their families come together to dance and
March- Read Across America: We spend an entire week celebrating lieracy, reading, book characters, and eachother.
March- Gratitude Night: Once per year, the SELS community gathers to express gratitude for each other and the world we live in. Familes enjoy a potluck dinner while students perform.
May- Better World Day- Each year, EL schools contribute to creating a better world by doing community service projects. At SELS, all students work together to do projects that make our community a better place.

October & May - Dia del Muertos/Niños: Each fall and spring, our middle schoolers gather the community for music and dance performances, speakers, and food to celebrate Mexican students and heritage.
May- Slam Poetry: Culminating their “Power to the People” , social justice expedition, the eighth graders research a topic and create a slam poem. They perform these memorized poems at a local restaurant for the community.
June- Passages: At the end of the year, all students who will be switching crew leaders reflect publicly for an audience of students families, and community members on their personal and academic growth.
June- Stone Ceremony: On the last day of school, crew leaders honor the students who are moving on with a ceremony where they move their special stone into their next teacher's vessel.

June- Field Day: Our PE teacher organizes a field day for the last day of school. Students participate in friendly competitions and enjoy one last day together before summer.
June - The Great Skate: The Great Skate is one of our most significant school events organized by our Parent Teacher Crew. We come together and celebrate the end of the school year with roller skating and activity booths.
June- 8th Grade Graduation: We honor our 8th graders completion of their time at SELS with a cermony on Donner Lake. At this ceremony, they return their stones to the river.
Monthly- Community Meetings are led by a different crew each month. The crew leads the school in activities that center around design principles. Students attend the meetings with their Bear Dens buddies.

Monthly- Spirit Days: Students love coming to school dressed as book characters, with crazy hair, or representing their favorite sports teams.
All Year- Fieldwork: At least twice per month, crews leave the campus to meet wtih experts of all kinds, visit historic sites, and go on crew building adventures. Students to the work of scientists and historians on these daytime and overnight trips.
All Year- Bear Dens/ Buddies: Every student belongs to a Bear Den, a crew of mixed-age students. A few times per month, Bear Dens and Buddies meet to do fun activities and build community.
Summer: Staff Retreats: To kick off the new year, the staff gets together for a camping trip where they build community and take a moment for themselves before the new school year.

A Year at SELS