Falmouth Outdoor Learning Committee

12/10/2024

Lawrence School is in need of some volunteers to help out in the pollinator garden and vernal pool at Lawrence School on Saturday, December 14 or Sunday December 15 (rain date) from 10-12pm or 1-3pm. We need to clean out, rake, spread top soil, and reseed the pollinator garden before winter and remove invasive plants from the vernal pool. We could also use some help installing shelves and flooring in the greenhouse. You can use this form to indicate when you can volunteer or you can email Christine Brothers at [email protected]. If you can bring a rake or shovel that would be helpful

06/04/2024

FYI: the committee is currently conducting our annual survey of all Falmouth Public Schools - Massachusetts staff and students regarding outdoor learning. The survey is accessible to all students via their schools and primary teachers. The survey window will be open until the last day of school. It is vital we have a high percentage of responses for future funding. This year we are offering an incentive.... the school with the highest response rate will receive a donation to their schools PTO for outdoor learning. Additionally any school with a 50% or higher response rate overall will also receive a donation. Currently only Mullen Hall has reached above a 50% rate. Please encourage your students and teachers to ask about taking this critical survey before the last day. The survey takes only a few minutes to do. Thanks for your support.

02/06/2024

The ​Falmouth Outdoor Learning Project Recognizes Morse Pond School teacher Ann Goulart's Outdoor Lesson for January. Ms. Goulart is a fifth grade teacher with the Falmouth Public Schools.
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Ms. Goulart reflected upon this fun math lesson called "Playground Math" sharing, "Watching the students physically work and apply the mathematical principles of perimeter and area. Seeing them actually crawling along the edge of the 4-square court, moving the meter stick, I knew they would remember the perimeter and area because they were using their entire body to solve the problem."
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They put their math into action by heading outside with meter sticks in their hands to measure the playground! According to the map, working as a team, the students were challenged to find the perimeter and area of real-life objects on the playground. Some objects were relatively small, like the picnic table, but some were very large, like the black tube edge of the big toy. Stick over stick working together, they crawled along the basketball court, passed the meter stick around the outdoor learning tent, and worked the numbers as they sat on the 4-square court until they had deciphered all the problems. The next day they recorded the results from each group. They discussed why each group might have slightly different answers. Finally, they averaged the results for each station.

"The students loved working in teams. Measuring the large items was challenging for some students, but they enjoyed being outside and working together," Ms. Goulart share with the committee. Ms. Goulart is willing to share the lesson with other teachers.
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Congratulations Ms. Goulart!​​
The Outdoor Learning Project, a committee of the Rotary Club of Falmouth, Cape Cod highlights one outdoor learning lesson each month submitted by our local educators that work with Falmouth students. The committee also awards a $100 as a thank you for featuring their outdoor lesson.
Learn more about the Falmouth Outdoor Learning Project at: https://www.falmouthoutdoorlearningproject.com/

Interested educators can submit their lessons here: https://forms.gle/shV6rPwqh8z4AzFY8

If you would like to contribute towards the Lesson Recognition Fund, please visit The Rotary Club of Falmouth, Cape Cod, a 501c3 organization. Select Youth on the Paypal link and outdoor classroom project-outdoor lesson. You can also send a Venmo or mail in a check and be sure to include the same note. Our address is: PO Box 293 Falmouth, MA 02541

FFalmouth Public Schools - Massachusetts

12/12/2023

The Falmouth Outdoor Learning Committee is seeking a donation of crushed stone for the new Lawrence School greenhouse that will be installed in the coming months. The greenhouse is 16 X 16 so we need 256 square feet and a depth of 3/4 of an inch. Any help or guidance is appreciated!

10/05/2023

The ​Falmouth Outdoor Learning Project Recognizes Morse Pond School teacher Lisa Langan's Outdoor Lesson for September. Ms. Langan is a sixth grade teacher with the Falmouth Public Schools - Massachusetts.
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Ms. Langan reflected upon this exciting math technology lesson called "Math Scavenger Hunt" sharing, "Seeing the creative ideas students came up with to represent the math topics was so exciting. I also loved to hear their "math talk" as they discussed with each other what to take pictures of and what it could represent."
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​This multidisciplinary lesson included covering standards in Math, Science and Digital Literacy. "They were very excited to 1) be outside, 2) use technology to take pictures 3) make the Google Slide presentations and 4) they were eager to share with me the items in nature that they found and were surprised that they had to noticed these before!" This lesson gave students a chance to put theory into practice to see how things they are currently learning inside the classroom apply into everyday life outside of the classroom.

Ms. Langan has shared this lesson and there are additional PDF's including the slideshow for the lesson are on our website link: https://www.falmouthoutdoorlearningproject.com/blog/falmouth-outdoor-learning-project-recognizes-morse-pond-school-teacher-lisa-langans-outdoor-lesson-for-september

The Outdoor Learning Project, a committee of the Rotary Club of Falmouth, Cape Cod highlights one outdoor learning lesson each month submitted by our local educators that work with Falmouth students. The committee also awards a $100 as a thank you for featuring their outdoor lesson. If you would like to contribute towards the Lesson Recognition Fund, please visit The Rotary Club of Falmouth, Cape Cod, a 501c3 organization. Select Youth on the Paypal link and outdoor classroom project-outdoor lesson. You can also send a Venmo or mail in a check and be sure to include the same note. Our address is: PO Box 293 Falmouth, MA 02541

10/04/2023

The outdoor learning committee is seeking help from the Falmouth community in collecting or accepting donations of approx 3000 river rocks so that all students can decorate their own Clipper rock. A collection bin will be at the Falmouth School Administration Building Mon-Fri from 8-4:30pm.
340 Teaticket Hwy, East Falmouth
We are additionally seeking donations of:
Paint Pens & Paint (outdoor latex/acrylic) and brushes to supply to the students for this activity. Tax donation letters will be issued upon request from Rotary Club of Falmouth, a 501c3 organization.

09/12/2023

A huge THANK YOU to Kathleen Botelho and her family for their donation of two 10 foot picnic tables for the tented spaces at East Falmouth Elementary School. THANK YOU also Dickie Knowlton for picking up the tables and delivering them to the school today!!!

09/06/2023

We are beyond excited to share the recent publication of the videos done in partnership with The 300 Committee Land Trust of Falmouth!!!! Working with the Falmouth Public Schools - and Falmouth Outdoor Learning Committeee thru Rotary Club of Falmouth Cape Cod, T3C has created resources designed to help teachers, students and families become more familiar with, and at home in, local conservation lands.

T3C’s outreach team created short videos with student hosts: Tilu, Evelyn, Johanna, and Zyzy, showcasing trails closest to Falmouth’s four elementary schools: Shivericks Pond Pathway, adjacent to the Mullen-Hall School; Teaticket Park, at the back corner of Teaticket Elementary; the Donald Whelden Preserve, a short walk from East Falmouth Elementary; and the Florence Sylvia Woodland, down the street from the North Falmouth School. These are also the 4 nature trails that include the QR project!

Join our student hosts to learn more about properties near Falmouth's Elementary Schools.

Guided Hikes “Restore balance. Most kids have technology, school, and extracurricular activities covered. It’s time to add a pinch of adventure, a sprinkle of sunshine , and a big handful of outdoor play.” - Penny Whitehouse. T3C Supports Outdoor Learning Working with the Falmouth Public Schoo...

08/30/2023

Just realized we never shared the June Lesson of the Month where we honored 4th grade, East Falmouth Elementary School teacher, Nicole Mele for her lesson called "Math Review Scavenger Hunt". What an awesome math lesson for our students to review math concepts they learned and how they are applied within real life situations! You can check out the lesson via our site!

The Outdoor Learning Project, a committee of the Rotary Club of Falmouth, Cape Cod, highlights one outdoor learning lesson each month submitted by our local educators that work with Falmouth students. The committee also awards a $100 as a thank you for featuring their outdoor lesson. Educators can submit their lessons via a link on the site!

https://www.falmouthoutdoorlearningproject.com/blog/falmouth-outdoor-learning-project-recognizes-east-falmouth-elementary-school-teacher-nicole-mele-outdoor-lesson-for-june

07/20/2023

Come check out all the fun!! Teachers, students, parents, and all ages are welcome!!!

07/11/2023

Heather, Andrew, Sara and Caleb are all running the Falmouth Road Race this year for the Falmouth Outdoor Learning Committee thru Rotary Club of Falmouth Cape Cod! They are close to reaching their goals and we are asking for help to get them there! Any amount is appreciated! Funds from this year will help fund the Morse Pond School Nature Trail as well as other supplies and projects requested by staff to help support outdoor education as we continue to grow this project! Please help us get our amazing team to their goals of $750 each. If you can't donate, please share!

https://www.falmouthrotary.com/page/2023-falmouth-road-race-runners-team

06/08/2023

Special thanks to Jenny's Edibles & Blooms for a generous donation of over 100 plants that was shared by Lawrence, Teaticket, North, and Mullen Hall.