Outdoor School returns for Siuslaw after two-year break

June 4, 2022 — After what seemed like, to those that love the event, a very long two-year hiatus, kids from Siuslaw Middle School returned to Camp Cleawox for Outdoor School last week.

For four days, Florence’s sixth graders spent their normal school hours surrounded by nature. Great care was taken to split the students into specific “camps,” each led by an eighth grader or high schooler who served as their counselor. Each camp was scheduled for different events throughout each of the four days. They spent time fishing, kayaking and practicing archery. 

Jesse Beers, a representative from the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians showed the campers an authentic dugout canoe and talked about the traditions of local tribes. 

The mission of Siuslaw’s Outdoor School is to provide opportunities for students that extend beyond the traditional classroom. 

Though this year’s Outdoor School wasn’t an overnight outing like it had been in the past, campers still learned how to build a campfire. They were rewarded for successful fire building when they got to prepare and eat everyone’s favorite outdoor treat, s’mores.

After their long days of outdoor fun, the campers returned to school to spend time journaling about their experiences during the day. 

At the end of the week, the hope is the students go home with a new appreciation for not only nature but also for some of their classmates, that they may have never had a chance to get to know.