A Day in the Life …

Alzar School | 27.08.12

Routine is starting to set in here at Alzar School as we have completed our first week of classes and are moving into week two. A day in the life of an Alzar School student includes 7:30am breakfast prepared by the cook crew. Last week Aaron, Katherine and Liam did a wonderful job providing oatmeal, yogurt and bagel options to start the day. Then it is off to U.S. History class taught by Evan. Classes held in the barn typically utilize our large TV display so teachers can project lessons from their ipads to the class as students follow along on their own personal tablet. Most students take “the magic schoolbus” aka the Alzar School van down the road to the Depot for Ellie’s second period English class. Mathematics with Dan is held wherever there is a large whiteboard, giving students space to work through practice problems and demonstrate their skills. For Alzar School’s science students, Mr. Goff tends to vary classes making use of our warm August weather to teach lessons outdoors and in the field, making science lessons come alive. All students end the school day with Alzar School’s signatory Capstone Leadership led by the school leaders themselves, Sean and Kristin.

After a full 8am until 3:30pm school day students are ready for an energy release so next up for all your Alzar School sons and daughters is a block of Outdoor Adventure ranging from Kelly’s Whitewater park to bouldering in the barn. This week Alec, Wesley and Katherine were all trying loops in the upper rapid, while Inez, Karley and Charlotte mastered their rolls in the lower section. Lexi was the instructor-in-training in the lower park assisting the roll clinic. The 6 days we spent paddling on the Lower Salmon River must have paid off because on our very first trip to the park every single student successfully rolled. Finally, Grady, Liam, Aaron and Crosby dominated the middle rapid, an awesome surf wave for first timers like Aaron and Liam who successfully completed a combat rolls but still a challenge for Grady and Crosby who worked to master spins in the surf.

Outdoor Adventure block is followed by a block of community chores to keep the school in top shape. However sometimes, chores turned into an adventure of their own! Be on the look out for this week’s video to see our amusing new sport created after emptying the trash cans.

Dinner is provided by Whistle Stop, a local restaurant here in Cascade. This week students enjoyed dinners of spaghetti, grilled cheese, and pizza as well as a picnic of burgers, fries and cake when we celebrated Wesley’s birthday at the Whitewater park over the weekend.

Following dinner comes the sound of silence … generally because your dedicated Alzar students are working hard to finish all of their homework assignments and readings needed for another full day of classes the next morning. Other nights you may find small clumps of study groups as students like Inez, Charlotte, Katherine and Lexi collaborating on an interactive physics assignment.

After a long day of class, activities, challenges and adventures we all walk back down the road to the Depot.  It’s 10pm and lights out, but if you were to slip into the student dormitories just after 10pm you could expect a greeting by headlamp as usually at least one student will be reading quietly before finally going to bed.