Los Angeles County Outdoor Science School |
The answers to all the questions you have about Outdoor Science School!
(or at least most of them)
PLEASE CLICK ON ONE OF THE TOPICS BELOW:
What to Pack | Cabins/Lodges | Weather | Meals/Special
Diets | Homesickness | Schedule | Rules/Discipline
System | Curriculum | Wildlife/Plants |Medications/Special Needs | Safety | Booking Your School | Other
What should I bring (and not bring)? We have a whole page about that - click here!
Can I bring snacks? No - unless you have special permission due to a special diet.
Can I bring gum or candy? No - although sometimes you are allowed to chew gum on the bus to help with popping your ears as you go up in elevation, please no gum or candy once you get up here. Turn it in to your teacher if you have it. It is to protect wildlife that we will hold it for you.
Will I need special clothes, like snow boots or jackets? Possibly, but if you don't have them, we have some we can loan you. See packing for more information
Can I bring my cell phone? Please don't.
Can I bring a teddy bear? Yes! You can even bring pictures to tape to your cabin walls! Make it your home-away-from-home for the week. Other strategies for avoiding homesickness
Can I bring my...Gameboy, X-box, iPod, DVD Player, TV, etc? This is a week in nature to experience life on a simpler level. We want nothing to get in the way of your enjoyment of the outdoors, learning natural science, and experiencing creating your own fun! We also do not want expensive items of any kind brought to Outdoor Science School where they could be lost or damaged - please leave them at home, or the teachers will confiscate and hold them for you until you get back. Hey - it's only 5 days and 4 nights - you can make it!
Note: we tend to refer to all student accomodations as "cabins" even though we have both cabin and lodge rooms. All references to cabins in this section also refer to the lodge rooms, unless otherwise stated.
Are the cabins heated? Yes!
Is there electricity? Yes! Not too many outlets, though. Don't bring radios, please - you will be listening to the "music of nature"! Wake up to the mountain rap of birds and squirrels!
Bathroom Questions:
- Are there showers? Yes!
- Is there hot water? Yes! But you have to share it with the other students in the cabin, so please take very short showers!
- Are the showers private? Yes!
- Are the bathrooms indoors? Yes!
- Can I bring my hair dryer or curling iron? We'd prefer you didn't. Outdoor school is definitely not a fashion show! Being afraid to muss your beautifully styled hair might get in the way of you having fun and learning
How far away are the cabins? The Lodge is adjacent to the bus parking area and dining hall, the cabins are near the Huddle Hut (where the teachers stay) a 5-10 minute walk up the hill - pack light!
Are the cabins co-ed? No!! On rare occasions, when the teachers can't get enough male cabin leaders to come up, and a female parent may supervise a boys' cabin, but not the other way around. We are usually able to get more female cabin leaders than males - encourage someone you know to volunteer!
Is there supervision in the cabins? Yes! The classroom teachers are in charge of providing Cabin Leaders - at least one adult for each cabin of 10-14 students.
Do we have to clean our room? Yes! We have cabin inspections daily, and the cleanest cabins get a "special visitor" in the afternoon. They are pretty cool, so don't miss out!
Will I get to be with my friends? That depends on your teacher - we try to pair you up with someone you know and also who you won't get into trouble with! If you have friends you can stay out of trouble with, be sure to ask your teachers to put you together. In case you can't be with them, however, you will definitely make new friends during your week at Outdoor Science School!
Are the cabins safe? Yes! The Cabin Leader Coordinator patrols the cabin and lodge areas at night along with the classroom teachers, each cabin leader has a key and a whistle, and we have emergency protocols in place and a practice emergency drill on Monday. We have never had any problems with a breach of safety, but we are prepared in the event of an emergency - our principal is an emergency medical technician (EMT) and most of the staff have advanced first aid training. Not only that, the fire station with paramedics is at the bottom of our street - only a few blocks away!
Are there...
- TVs in the cabins? You're kidding, right? No! This is "back-to-nature" week! You may suffer withdrawals, but we will help you by keeping you very busy learning and having fun all week - without TV! Amazing, huh?
- Telephones? Not in the cabins, but the teachers have a telephone in the Huddle Hut, which is adjacent to the cabins, and there is a telephone in the Outdoor Science School Office. Please don't bring cell phones - especially in the cabins. See the section on homesickness for why.
- Computers? Only in the Outdoor Science School office, where we use them for official school purposes.
What is the weather like in Wrightwood? Check out our WEATHER PAGE!
What if I want up-to-the-minute weather updates? Glad you asked! Click here.
What is on the menu? Kid-friendly food! Check it out here
Will I get enough to eat? You will get three meals a day, plus trail snacks. There is usually enough food for seconds for those who want it.
Is the food good? That's a matter of opinion, but most students agree that it is - check out the menu and see for yourself
What if I have a special diet? Not usually a problem - just be sure to let us know in advance. Click here for information about how we can accommodate special diets
What if I have food allergies? Let us know what they are, and we will make sure you don't have a problem. See food allergies
What if I'm a vegetarian? We have a few options - check it out
What if I have diabetes? We provide snacks during the day, though we encourage students with diabetes to bring their own snacks, especially for bedtime, and juice or glucose tablets in case they are necessary. Please see more information here.
What if my religion forbids me to eat certain foods? The most common prohibited food is pork - and you can avoid it easily. See how
Can I have snacks in the cabin? No - we don't like to attract wildlife into camp by having food in the cabins. You will get plenty to eat during the day with 3 meals and snacks. The only exception to this is for students with diabetes.
Can I call home if I get homesick? No - and it's not because we are mean! In our almost 50 years of experience, we have found that calling home almost always makes the homesickness worse. We want you to get over it and have a great time at Outdoor Science School, and the best way to do that is to get involved with what is going on at Outdoor Science School, not to call home. Read this for more information
Can my parents come pick me up if I'm homesick? No - homesickness is not an emergency. If you were really sick or injured, of course we would call your parents, but your parents wanted you to come up to Outdoor Science School to learn about science and nature and to have a good time. If you stick it out, you are almost guaranteed to do just that, so hang in there! Parents: please don't make any "pick up deals" beforehand - it sabotages your child's chance of success - read more about that here.
Can I bring a teddy bear? Yes! You can even bring pictures to tape to your cabin walls! Make it your home-away-from-home for the week. Other strategies for avoiding homesickness
Will my friends make fun of me if I get homesick? Not usually - your friends want you to feel better. But if they are smart, they will help you by getting you involved with Outdoor Science School and not giving you too much sympathy, which sometimes makes the homesickness worse.
How can I keep from getting homesick? Stay involved and busy with all the great Outdoor Science School experiences we provide. Come up with a good attitude, and read this good advice on what you can do!
What is a typical day at Outdoor Science School like? See the schedule - click here
Will I have any free time? Yes - there are 5 periods of cabin time daily: before and after breakfast, before and after dinner, and before bedtime.
Is there homework? Yes, every night. Your naturalist will assign you from 6-8 pages of homework each day, and you are responsible for finishing it before class time the next day. You can get help from your cabin mates, your cabin leader, your teachers, or use the glossary - just get it done!
What do we do at night? Evening Program is different every night - the first night you will play a fun game called "Eco-Clue" (have you ever played the board game Clue? It's kind of like that, only with food chains and ecosystems), the second and third nights you will night hike (no flashlights or cameras! You will be using your built-in night vision, and you will love it!) on one night and dance on the other (don't worry if you can't dance, we will be teaching you some fun dances - you don't even need a date!), and the last night is Skit Night!
What time is bedtime? There are 3 stages to bedtime: 9:15 is feet on bunk time - everyone in their PJ's and on their own bunk; 9:25 is lights out; 9:30 is All Quiet - silence, no talking, shhhhh.... we will be coming around and checking to make sure you are quiet so that everyone can get a good night's sleep for the next full day of learning and fun!
What time do we have to get up? We want you to sleep in! No one is allowed to make any noise - no showers, no talking - before 7am. If you sleep past 7am, no problem, as long as you aren't late to breakfast at 7:50. But please respect the All Quiet until 7am rule!
When will I have time to...
Take a shower? Your cabin leader should help you work out a shower schedule so that everyone gets a shower each day. It will be a very short shower to make sure everyone has time to take one, and there is enough hot water, but you should be able to take one during one of your periods of cabin time. Please don't take a shower and wash your hair right before you go out on a night hike, because you will get cold! The longest period of cabin time is before dinner, and that is a great time to shower if you can. But you might not be able to if all the time slots are taken up, so be flexible!
Practice our skit? A little bit each day is good - your cabin leader will get the topic from the Cabin Leader Coordinator on Monday, and you should start discussing it. On Tuesday you should agree on the format of your skit, assign roles, and start working on lines. On Wednesday, a naturalist will come to your cabin before dinner to check on your skit and give you advice. On Thursday night, you will be performing the skit in front of everyone, so don't forget to practice!!
Do Homework? The best cabin leaders will have designated homework time - it is best if you set aside a time when the whole cabin is quietly working on homework. If someone finishes early, the cabin leader can check them, and if they are done, they can do a game page in the back of the journal, or read or write letters, but should still keep quiet while others are finishing their homework. It's better to do this early on, while all your lessons are still fresh, like in the cabin time before dinner, while some people are rotating through the shower schedule.
Write Home? During cabin time - don't forget to write home! Bring pre-addressed, stamped envelopes and paper for writing home (we don't have stamps for you). Write home early, so the letter will get home before you do!
Clean the cabin? You should keep it clean all the time, for emergency safety and comfort, but definitely give it an extra cleaning just before we inspect - which will be in the morning when you are out on the trail. Make sure your cabin is perfect before leaving for class after breakfast!
Just hang out? After you finish your homework, and you've practiced your skit, and taken a shower, and cleaned your cabin, then you might actually have a few minutes to just relax! Oh, don't forget to write home! (Bring pre-addressed, stamped envelopes and paper to make it easier!)
Are there rules at Outdoor Science School? Yes! The most important rule is "Respect Everyone and Everything" - if you follow this one, you will probably be okay. Or, as our principle says, "Be nice, and be safe." We want you to 1) learn a lot, 2) have fun doing it, and 3) not get hurt (even your feelings). To ensure that ~everyone~ is successful at Outdoor Science School, we have rules that are clearly defined. Click here to see our rules and consequences.
Are you strict? Yes, we are. Because we care! Outdoor Science School is different from your school back home - we have national forest all around, and the consequences of not following our safety rules could be more severe up here. But we are also fair, and we let you know up front what the rules are, and what the consequences are for not following the rules.
What happens if I get in trouble? You will get a logical consequence based on our assertive discipline system. Click here to find out what that is.
Can I get sent home for not following the rules? Yes, if you are on your 5th consequence of the day, or if your infraction was especially severe. We have a 5 stage discipline system, with the 5th step being sent home. Just like at your school, severe infractions will be dealt with individually.
Why do you have so many rules? To protect student safety and ensure everyone can learn and have fun!
What will I learn at Outdoor Science School? We hope you learn a LOT! Learning in the outdoors is different than learning from books. You are IN the ecosystem you are studying, observing and studying natural processes and phenomena as they happen! The best science classroom really does have no walls! You will learn about plants, animals, geology, and ecosystems, cycles, interdependence, energy flow, diversity, communities, change, and adaptation. Or you might learn how to identify a rare bird, or use a plant key to find out what kind of plants grow here, or how to test rocks to find out what minerals are in them... you will learn science skills and processes, you will be investigating and experimenting with the environment, learning big concepts and specific examples. All in one short week! Your brain will be full! For our official curriculum webpage, click here.
Is it like camp? Yes and no... We don't call ourselves "camp" - we are a school, run by the LA County Office of Education. However, there are some elements that are like camp - you will stay in cabins for the week, eat meals in the dining hall, and perform skits on the last night. But just about everything is a science learning experience - even the skits! We are a school, and we give homework, and we are all about learning - but we also want you to have fun learning, because we think you'll learn better that way!
How will it help me back at my own school? We think it will make you excited about learning science! It will give you concrete experiences and examples to remember when learning new concepts. Students who may have trouble in the classroom sometimes really shine at Outdoor Science School, where being distracted can make you the star squirrel-spotter! Your hidden talents may come out during the week, and you'll have a chance to shine. You get to be a kid and get dirty, yet do some growing up all at the same time. You will come back full of enthusiasm for learning, with some new interests, new friends, and new-found confidence from your experience. Not to mention that studies have shown students who learn using the environment as an integrating context show increased achievement across the curriculum! (See "Closing the Achievement Gap")
Why is it important - isn't it just for fun? Not only is it good for you for all of the above reasons, and for learning the California State Science Standards, it is important to learn about how the earth's natural systems operate... this is our "spaceship" with all these life-support systems purifying our air and water, recycling our waste, and it didn't come with an instruction manual! To make sure these systems will continue to function and support our lives on the planet, we need to first understand how they work, and then understand how to take care of them, and be good stewards of the earth.
Is there homework? Yes, every night. Your naturalist will assign you from 6-8 pages of homework each day, and you are responsible for finishing it before class time the next day. You can get help from your cabin mates, your cabin leader, your teachers, or use the glossary - just get it done!
Is the homework hard? Not too hard - mostly it's pretty fun and easy, and just reviews what you learned that day out on the trail.
Is there a lot of homework? From 6-8 pages a night in your Outdoor Science School Journal, but the pages are small...
Will it be graded? That depends on your teachers, but the answer is usually "YES." Your naturalist will check it every day and go over it with you, and then your teacher will go over it back at school. For some schools, it is a big part of your science grade, so do a good job!
Who checks it? Your cabin leader should check it in your cabin, your naturalist will check it each day in class, and your teachers will check it after you get back (or sometimes on the bus on the way home!) so be sure to keep up with the assignments!
Are the Instructors qualified to teach science? Absolutely! Everyone on our staff has at least a bachelor's degree, some also have master's degrees, and some have teaching credentials. We all have quite a bit of teaching and field experience. We love science, we love the outdoors, we love teaching, and we love kids! We have the perfect job. Meet this year's staff on our Staff Page.
Why are you called "Naturalists"? Well, technically, our job titles have been changed to Outdoor Science Instructor, if that makes you feel better. But we like being called naturalists - we are experts in natural history and will interpret the rocks and trees for you. We are proud to follow in the footsteps of many famous naturalists, such as John Muir, who hiked in the San Gabriel Mountains and said they were some of the most rugged he had experienced. After a week at Outdoor Science School, you'll have a little naturalist in you, too!
How does the Outdoor Science Curriculum correlate with the California State Science Standards for the STAR Science Test? See the "About LACOSS page" and the "Curriculum" page for some ideas. We are in the process of updating the curriculum page for the new science frameworks, however, we have already updated our curriculum. We can help with the STAR tests in several ways - we teach students to identify minerals and rocks using the hardness scale and teach about plate tectonics (we are on the border of the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate, and can show students the different rocks and formations caused by the plates' movements). There are several other parts of our curriculum which will help with these tests and make it easier for students to learn more science back in the classroom, by having these concrete "hooks to hang new learning on" from the Outdoor Science School experience. Here is the 5th grade blueprint for testing, many parts of which we cover very well, and we also cover 6th, 7th and even 8th grade standards. All in one short week!
What kinds of wildlife am I likely to see at Outdoor Science School? Our favorite wild animal at Outdoor Science School - SQUIRRELS!! We have lots of cute, fluffy squirrels. They are really fun to watch! The Western Grey Squirrels use the tree branches like overpasses and jungle gyms, and can leap amazingly far from tree to tree, or walk along telephone lines like a tightrope walker! They are active year round as they store nuts and seeds in the ground to survive all winter, so you can't miss them! We also have ground squirrels and chipmunks, but they hibernate in the winter, so you might not see them.
We also have a great diversity of birds at Outdoor Science School! From tiny hummingbirds to Golden Eagles, you are guaranteed to have some good bird sightings, especially with the binoculars that we provide! We have several species of woodpecker, since we are in their prime habitat - you may hear the woodpecker that Woody Woodpecker got his laugh from, or watch the woodpeckers ganging up on and dive bombing the squirrels that try to steal their stored acorns, or get to see them making a nest cavity by pecking it out with their beaks! They are always fun to watch. In fact, the Outdoor Science School keeps weekly updates of the birds we see here in Wrightwood. Check it out by clicking here!
In the fall and spring, you may get to see a few different species of lizard - skinks, alligator lizards and whiptails are really cool, but sagebrush lizards, a species of fence lizard ("bluebelly") are most common.
It is very rare that we see any larger animals - though sometimes we see their tracks! If you come up in the winter after a fresh snow, you may get to do some animal tracking and see what else lives here. If you are lucky enough to see other wildlife, remember, wild animals are just that - wild. If we are lucky enough to see one, we quietly observe it, but don't crowd it, and let it get away from us, which is the main thing it is interested in doing.Are there lots of mosquitoes? No! We rarely have ANY mosquitoes! We are on the rain shadow (dry) side of the mountains, above the Mojave Desert, and it is very dry here. We occasionally get harmless gnats (we call them "face flies") in the fall, but they don't bite. In the winter, there are no insects that will "bug" you.
Do you have poison oak? Good news! We have NO poison oak in Wrightwood! No poisonous plants of any kind.
If a bear and a mountain lion got in a fight, who would win? Seriously - we get this question a lot! In real life, it's not like that, though. Animals tend to avoid getting into fights with each other because they can't go to the doctor and get patched up afterwards. Just like they tend to avoid us, since we can be trouble for them. It's not the WWE of Wildlife out here! Get away from the TV and go watch some squirrels!
What if my child has a condition requiring regular medications? The classroom teachers in charge of signing students up for Outdoor Science School will give you a health form to fill out, giving permission for common over-the-counter medications, and with room for you to write instructions for other medications either taken on a regular basis or as needed. Please include the doctor's signature on the medications page for prescription medications, and send the medication with the teachers (not your child). Students are not allowed to have any medications (even over-the-counter) in the cabins with the exception of Asthma inhalers, which we prefer stay with the student at all times. The teachers are responsible for handing out all medications once at the Outdoor Science School, and keep careful records in the infirmary along with your child's health form. All medical information is kept strictly confidential and is shared only as necessary for your child's health.
What if my child has Asthma? Every week students with asthma successfully attend Oudoor Science School. Although we are out hiking on the trails all day, we stop often to teach, do science investigations, take water breaks, snack and meal breaks, and rest breaks, so most students with asthma do just fine. Please send extra inhalers with your child if they use them - one for the teachers to have in the infirmary, one for the student to keep with them at all times, and an extra in case one is lost. If your child's asthma is particulary serious, consult your child's doctor for advice.
What if my child has ADD or ADHD? Students with Attention Deficit Disorder often do very well at Outdoor Science School, where they have an appropriate outlet for their energy and enthusiasm. Please do NOT take them off their medication for the week, however, as this will likely sabotage their chances of success - especially in the cabins. The Outdoor Science School week is a chance for these students to shine and experience academic success out on the trail AND social success in the cabins, which can help them back at their regular classroom, as well.
What if my child has diabetes? We have had many students with type 1 diabetes attend the outdoor science school, and we welcome and encourage parents to send their children with diabetes to our program. Checking blood sugar and snacking is a normal part of the routine, and no problem. Although we can often watch over students with diabetes, legally we at the Outdoor Science School can make no decisions about their insulin regimen, nor can we administer injections; either the student should be self-sufficient with their diabetes management, or they should have an attending guardian who is. We can also make special arrangements for the student to have consultations with parents regarding blood sugar readings. We provide snacks during the day, though we encourage students with diabetes to bring their own snacks, especially for bedtime, and juice or glucose tablets in case they are necessary. Be aware that we are at an elevation of 6,000 feet, and students at the Outdoor Science School are generally much more active than at regular school; both tend to lower blood glucose levels. Consult your doctor about insulin regimens in this different environment.
Can you accommodate special needs children? Absolutely. For everyone’s best interest, please let us know ahead of time. In some cases an additional parent counselor or student aide might be necessary. Our lessons primarily take place out on the trails, which are rocky and not accessible, but for the activities we do near the campus, even students unable to walk distances should be able to fully participate. Some of the time, students with mobility issues may need to stay with the teachers on campus, but we will incorporate them with the regular trail groups to the greatest extent possible.
Outdoor Science School is a very safe place to be - we are ready for just about anything, but we are in a small, safe, mountain community where people help each other, with emergency services nearby, well-trained staff, and many resources available to us. We take good care of our students!
What kind of security do you have? Teachers and naturalists have radios, and we patrol the cabin areas at night. The camp manager lives on site, the teachers and Cabin Leader Coordinator stay on site, and the Cabin Leaders are in the cabins at night. We do everything we can to ensure student safety at Outdoor Science School! In the event of a large scale event, until we can communicate, we will personally care for your child.
What if my child gets sick or injured? We have an excellent safety record at the Outdoor Science School, but in the event of any type of injury, we are prepared. Students are always supervised, we have a well-stocked infirmary on campus, and out on the trail the naturalists carry extensive first aid backpacks. Our Outdoor Science School principal is trained as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), most of the naturalists have advanced first responder first aid training, and the paramedics are only a few blocks away at the fire station at the bottom of our street. We carry radios at all times to communicate when needed. We have never had a serious problem as we are all safety conscious!
If a child becomes ill, their first stop is the infirmary where the teachers will take their temperature. The infirmary is stocked with some basic over-the-counter medications. For a student to be given ANY medication, parents must give prior permission by signing the form in the parent packet. The teachers keep all student health forms and medications in the infirmary and keep careful records of what has been given out. We won't hesitate to contact a parent with any concerns about their child's health. Our policy is to have parents pick their child up if they have a temperature of 101.Do you have poison oak? Good news! We have NO poison oak in Wrightwood! No poisonous plants of any kind.
What about fires? See our "News" page for the latest updates - we are in good shape for the fire season!
What about other emergencies? We are prepared for any kind of emergency - we go over emergency procedures and safety with students during the emergency drill on the first day, and have well-established emergency protocols in place. Our Outdoor Science School principal is trained as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), most of the naturalists have advanced first responder first aid training, and the paramedics are only a few blocks away at the fire station at the bottom of our street. We carry radios at all times to communicate when needed. All our staff live very nearby (within walking distance) in the town of Wrightwood. The camp manager lives on site, the teachers and cabin leader coordinator stay on site, and the cabin leaders are in the cabins at night. We do everything we can to ensure student safety at Outdoor Science School! In the event of a major emergency, until we can communicate, we will personally care for your child.
How do I book my school at Wrightwood? Glad you asked! Schools must reserve through the LA County Office of Education. Click on "Attending" at the bottom of this page, or just click here!
Please don't hesitate to contact us with any more specific questions you may have - we are happy to help! Contact the Outdoor Science School principal, Kathleen Mitchell.
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© LACOSS, 2002
Last Revised:
April 14, 2006
Comments or Questions?
