What REALMS is about

What is REALMS

REALMS is a Hands On Learning Charter School in Central Oregon. We are very different from most schools because we normally do not believe in learning by textbooks and homework (though we do have some). Our purpose is to foster scholarship, strengthen community, and inspire stewardship through active learning.

Here we have a mission, a mission to challenge each other to investigate, understand, and become stewards of the human and natural world around us.

Our Mission

Our Mission

Our mission is to help the process of restoration for Tumalo Creek. Meaning what we did to help restore Tumalo after the Bridge Creek fire. Since the fire was so devastating loggers came and took all of the trees away including the trees that were in the banks. After that there was nothing left. People finally realized that what we are doing to the creek is wrong so they started to fix it. They thought that it would be nice for the schools to get involved and that’s where we come in.

The 8th grade classes started to get really involved. We replanted trees and most of the riparian vegetation along the side of the creek along with a couple other schools.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Art Week 4








             The majestic view of the mountain over the river.                Karen is explaining what are the
                                                                                                                 expectations of this activity.
Art at Tumalo Creek


During art day out at Tumalo Creek, we focused on painting with watercolors. For example, we found a stick or leaf that we thought was a good thing to paint. We had about 20 minutes to get the painting done. What I chose to paint is the river with some rocks sticking out of the water and some currents.  The reason why we did this is so we can understand and connect with the area better.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Opening Circle week#3


Realms students paying attention to a reading.


Today we got into a standing circle in a whole new place. We were surrounded by many big trees. Our main concentration was to see how many different human impacts we could find. Like pipes sitting on the side of the road and constriction happening right in front of our eyes. Mr. Beck read a story written by Martha Campbell. Here’s a quote from the reading. "Other dangers lie not in the stream itself, but in the pipeline that runs from the intake to town.” Now we were ready to start focusing on the social science.

Data Collection Week 3


Tumalo Week 3 Data Collection

While collecting data on the third week we were entrusted with responsibility to collect reliable and accurate data. The tools that we used are called vernier probes. Vernier probes are a small computer like hand held object that has certain attatchments for different water quality factors.  Some of the things we calculated are the water temperature, air temperature, the pH balance, turbidity, and conductivity. I personally like how we were trusted to use really expensive tools, it brought about the feeling of responsibility and maturity to me which really made my day.I think that the main purpose for collecting this data is so we could compare this data with the past classes and the future classes can to. After a rough fire that destroyed the tumalo habitat central oregon joined hand in hand to restore this habitat to all that it could be.The main challenge we had was getting the most acurate reading that we could. The weather was cold and it was hard to stand so close to other people on a small bank of rocks. However we pulled through and collected the most accurate readings we could forgetting our lives back home, focused on the science.




Conner and Trevor waiting for the water quality results.

Week 3 Social Science


Page 1 (above) Page 2 (below)




Hanna's social science form where she captures what is most important
in terms of human interactions with Tumalo.


Social science is a realm all of it’s own, mainly, it is all about human interactions with nature. We where striving to understand why people did what they did pertaining to Tumalo creek, like the intake. We read articles by past 8th graders and also articles by the Source, and the Bulletin about the history of Tumalo Irrigation district and the Surface Water Improvement Project project as well as the history of water rights. Then we determined importance and shared in our Ethnographer groups, and then, in the group we shared with the class. To help clarify the geographical side of the problem Mr. Beck drew a splendid map in the sand. In the end everybody left knowing the motives of  people and their actions toward Tumalo creek, that way we could better understand why people did what they did and helped us see their perspective.

Pipe laying along the road for surface water pipeline improvment project.




  
Bend Bulletin article about the controversial
pipeline improvement to bring drinking water to bend




Art Week 3


Tumalo week 3 Art

We were in groups of 4 and we painted water color
pictures short and long distance. At the end we will make water colors of Tumalo creek. This helps us understand the area better.





This is a few students working on some pieces of art

Week 3 Reflection


WEEK 3: REFLECTION
This week at Tumalo Creek we weren’t at our regular study site. After we went over our writing prompt and choosing a backdrop of the riprarian zone,the bridge creek fire and how the valley is important to bend, we split up. Not able to see each other, we wrote about how we felt about the new spot. Personally, I got distracted by the river calmly rushing by, like it had somewhere to be and
it was late. Finally, all was quiet and we could write. The only sounds were the river and the birds chirping noisily in the nearest trees. After a long period of time, Mr.Beck called us back for our closing circle.
Reflection
Week Three
“. This cold, bubbling stream spitting up water at every rock and turn that is left over from my so easily accessible water” ~ Mariah Brito
“As you walk away from one side of the river it is a grassy field with little burnt stumps rarely peeking out of the grass.” ~ Delaney Pogue
“Right now I have some kind of bird sitting on a log next to me, singing me a song.”~ Amelia Carlson

“There's a meadow here with tall bushes and many trees.”~ Bente shares ways this is different with are study site.
Cole deep in his thoughts about Tumalo

Stacia writing while she sat alone working on her reflection.



Closing Circle Week 3

Closing Circle Week 3

Today we regrouped at REALMS. Tired after a long day at our temporary study site, just down the river from our normal site in Tumalo Valley, it was nice to just sit back and relax as people shared about their personal experiences at this new place. Some people, like Conner shared their art, while others, such as Mariah and Cassidy, shared some or even all of their reflection pieces.   
Mariah sharing a short excerpt from her reflection

Our week three closing circle in our very own REALMS backyard