Cross Training Yosemite: Bayshore Bike Ride

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Mr. Major

All able bodied 8th grade students and their parents are invited to join us for a 30 mile bike ride around San Diego Bay this Sunday May 3rd. We plan to arrive at 7am to park at the ample free parking in Spanish Landing. We’ll then ride down the eastern side of the bay along a combination of secondary roads & bike paths for approximately 15 miles. We then plan to traverse around the south end of the bay and then follow the return route up the strand until we reach coronado. From there we will take the ferry ($4.75 with no extra charge for bike) across to reconnect at downtown before returning to Spanish Landing. All told the ride will be approximately 30 miles with an estimated completion time of 11am with time allotted for a few snack breaks. We’re very excited to have the guidance and expertise of one of our younger OTA parents, Mr. Kirian…who just so happens to be an accomplished triathlete! Interested parties, please contact Mr. Major at jmajor@otacharter.org or 619-916-8384

Eco Iron Chef 2015 was a Success

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Mr. Major

Congratulations to all 8th graders for another successful Eco Iron Chef competition. Although we are still analyzing the judging sheets to determine the winners, this year’s entries demonstrated that our students are willing to try to learn new cooking techniques, to improve recipes under the much honored OTA virtue of pass try again…and most important of all our students are open to eating more locally sourced food!

Continue reading →

Suzie’s Farm Field Experience

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Mr. Major

It’s time to return to return to the farm!! Suzie’s farm that is. Our goal: to help answer the elusive but important question, “Where does our food come from?” Next wednesday 3/11 we are planning to leave OTA at 9am to arrive by 9:30 at the farm. In addition to a formal tour of the facilities, we will be actively engaged in picking our own vegetables as well planting seedling to then take home and/or plant at school. Permission slips will be handed out tomorrow and we are still in need of parent drivers. The entire trip will last from 9am-12:30. Please contact Mr. Major for details.

Tijuana Estuary Field Study

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Mr. Major

The 8th Grade class is returning to the field! A field study at the Tijuana Estuary to be exact. We plan to study bird, plant and the particularly the delicate nature of the estuary waters! Although all students are allowed to participate, we ask that once again that prior to this trip, students have no more than Continue reading →

Tidepools & Birch Aquarium Outdoor Ed. Trip

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Mr. Major

All students are encouraged to finalize their incomplete assignments so that they may attend our next field trip to The Birch Aquarium & Scripps Pier Tide Pools on Tuesday October 7th. Specifically all 8th graders who have no more than 1 “incomplete” grade on a project tree are invited to attend. Attendees will depart OTA at 10am to first tour the Birch Aquarium. We will then have lunch in front of the aquarium before we walk down to their pier and head slightly north towards the tide pools at Dike Rock. We plan to return just before pick up around 2:40pm. All students who are behind in their work will be expected to stay at school to complete their incomplete work.

Training for Yosemite

Posted on April 26, 2014 by Mr. Major

***Apologies something has come up for Mr. Major and he cannot lead the hike today : ( ….It’s a beautiful day and hike, please go if you can!! If this hike is too far a drive, another great option is to hike both south and north fortuna mountains which would make it also nearly 6 miles. Again that trailhead starts at the end of Clairemont Mesa Blvd….***

Whether you prefer to swim, bike, hike or run, all OTA 8th graders should be staying as active as possible prior to our visit to Yosemite National Park. Continue reading →

Yosemite Training Hike this Easter Sunday!!

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Mr. Major

Hoppy Easter!! Let’s go for a hike! Continue reading →

Eco Iron Chef Challenge 4/9

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Mr. Major

Attention all 8th graders, the Eco Iron Chef Challenge is just around the corner this coming Wednesday April 9! I hope you all have a had a chance to make your dishes at least once prior to this Wednesdays event, but regardless we want everyone to have fun cooking. The primary goal for this event center around the question: “Where does our food come from?” and we hope that all of you have considered locally sourcing as many of your ingredients as possible! Taking a note form our experiences at Suzie’s Farm growing and/or picking your on fruits and vegetables is a worthy and rewarding endeavor. Reminder also that it’s not to late to visit your local farmer’s market: http://sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Farmers-Markets.php

Tsunami Awareness Field Trip 3/26

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Mr. Major

March 23-29 is Tsunami Awareness Week. Next Wednesday, San Diego County officials join San Diego City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner and representatives from the California Geological Survey to announce a new mailer with local maps and evacuation routes that every San Diego County home or residence in a tsunami flood zone will receive this week. The event will also highlight what residents should know about San Diego’s tsunami risk. To demonstrate the short move to higher ground that can keep people safe in a tsunami, our 8^th graders and representatives from the region’s coastal cities will take part in a tsunami evacuation drill, walking quickly from La Jolla Shores to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The event last from roughly from 10- 11:30 so we are looking for parent volunteers who can drive students there at 9:30 and then back to school at 11:30. There is a chance that local media will be involved and thus the possibility that our students may appear on local news.

Field Trips & Outdoor Ed.

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Mr. Major

As we near the end of the 2nd quarter I wanted to remind all 8th grade families of our ongoing need for parent drivers/chaperones for our varied science and outdoor ed. experiences. In particular we will need multiple drivers for day trips throughout the 3rd quarter as we seek to answer the essential question of, “Where does our food come from?” Examples from last year’s experiences include visits to Bread & Cie, Suzie’s Farm, and of course the Grandaddy of all Outdoor Ed. experiences Yosemite National Park!

Speaking of which, we are tentatively trying to book dates for our 5 day 4 night Yosemite experience during the last week of May. The best days that would work for OTA & our students would be to leave on Tuesday May 27th & returning Saturday May 31st. This of course is tentative as the campsites book up very quickly and this year we have the extra challenge of obtaining two adjacent campsites with our now full 8th grade class. As soon as we finalize dates we will announce an after school meeting to go over logistics for this phenomenal Outdoor Experience as well as to be available to answer any and all related questions or concerns.

For transportation to and from the valley,we prefer to have as many 8th grade drivers/chaperones as possible since we accommodate a varied physical activity program for our entire class throughout our trip. Interested parents please contact Mr. Major at jmajor@otacharter.org

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