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Winter Craft Night Extravaganza

For the first time in three years, Lane’s Winter Extravaganza was an in-person affair, combining band and choir performances with a night of crafts. Students made snowmen from socks filled with rice; painted dreidels and played the dreidel game; hand-stamped personalized pins; decorated popsicle stick Christmas trees; and drank hot chocolate and decorated sugar cookies. “We start planning in October, but it’s really worth it to have such a joyful night with our students and their families," said Tracy Miranda, Lane’s art teacher and chief craft designer. She added, “It’s an event that I know many staff members look forward to all year long. We get to experience current students and their families, but we also see former students (older siblings) and some future students (younger siblings) too. It’s a great way to go into the winter break.”

Field Trip to the Zoo

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my! The entire 7th grade class had a wild time at the Oregon Zoo in December. Students learned about animal behaviors, diets, and habitats. The cool and somewhat rainy weather meant that the students enjoyed a day with few other visitors and animals that were really out and about! Comments like, "This was the BEST field trip ever!" were overheard as the students boarded the bus at the end of the trip.  

Mr. Hummel's Science Class

During second quarter, the 7th graders in Mr. Addison Hummel’s science class continued their chemistry learning sequence, with a focus on chemical reactions. This unit featured several hands-on activities and engaging laboratory experiments. Students started off the unit using chemistry to help design and create circuit boards. They watched copper react in a solution and saw first-hand how chemistry is used in industry to change materials to fit human needs. Students also worked with molecular models throughout the unit as they learned about atoms, molecules, and chemical bonds. Building molecules with model pieces was an excellent way for students to interact with and visualize molecular structures that are too small to see in real life. “And best of all, we started the New Year by taking what students had learned about chemical reactions and creating elephant toothpaste,” said Mr. Hummel. “Luckily, we didn’t create any of the geysers that you see on YouTube, but students loved seeing what they were able to create and playing with the colorful foam that was produced!”  

Field Trip to Community Transition Program

The Intensive Skills Class (ISC) walked down the street to visit the Community Transition Program. The program “serves young adults, ages 18-21 . . . (who) graduated from high school with a: modified diploma, extended diploma, and alternative certificate.”  The program’s curricula tackles everything from independent living skills to job training. During the visit, students were treated to a tour of the campus and played board games. “It was a nice opportunity to get students out of the classroom and explore what, for some, may be an option in the future,” said ISC teacher Will St. John.

8th Grade Field Trip to Langers Entertainment Center

In November, the 8th graders took a pre-fall break trip to Langers Entertainment Center in Sherwood. The day was filled with rock climbing, bowling, video games and some yummy pizza and milkshakes. Next up for this class: a field trip to Astoria in April. 

The Boston Tea Party

In January, the 7th/8th grade Russian Immersion US History class simulated the Boston Tea Party, in which the Sons of Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty staged a protest against British tea policies by dumping chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. “The Boston Tea Party happened nearly 250 years ago, which can make it seem irrelevant to a 13 or 14-year-old,” said Russian Immersion teacher Olga Volnycheva. “Costumes and simulations give students a better understanding of what was at stake for the Colonists,” she added.  Not only did students perform the famous historical event, but they discussed the reasons behind the Ukrainian flag’s presence at the Boston Tea Party Museum. Students also sang the Tree of Liberty song accompanied by Lane student David Shcherbakov, and watched a video of an Ukrainian Canadian person sharing their thoughts on current events.