January 19, 2023
Science School
NatureBridge Marin Headlands
This year we will be going to Science School the week of April 3 - 7th. The school is just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Science School is part of the regular 5th-grade program. The program at Marin Headlands is aligned with the California State Standards and "Next Generation Science Standards". We will be working in class during the year to academically prepare for Science School. In the weeks following our intensive, hands-on experience, we will complete a number of related follow-up units in the classroom.
The fee for science school will be $610.00 per student. This includes charter bus fare up and back, lodging and all meals (except the first lunch), Marin Headlands field teachers on a 1:12 ratio, adults from school on a 1:10 ratio, 28 hours of field instruction, 14 hours of classroom instruction, lab costs (charged to the school by Marin Headlands for hands-on science instruction), guest speakers, materials, and 24 hours a day of loving supervision.
California Education Code states that schools may charge a fee for outdoor science school camp programs, so long as no pupil is denied the opportunity to participate because of non-payment of the fee. (Ed. Code, § 35335.) If we do not receive sufficient funds from fees, the field trip may be canceled and the school will return all fee payments. We are looking for parent volunteers to run a fundraiser. If interested in heading one, please see Mrs. Lawson or Ms. Dange.
The first fee payment is requested by Friday, February 3rd, along with your permission slip (via Permission Click). Please speak to your child's teacher or Mrs. Lawson if you have questions. We ask that everyone help to support our trip to camp – participating in a fundraiser is a great way to help! Many parents have their children save part of their allowance or holiday money to provide part of the fee for science school. Fees may be paid all at once or over time. Garden Gate must have the full trip cost of @ $54,900 by March 3, 2023 in order to make our final payments due at that time. If we have not collected that amount in fees, the trip may be canceled and all fee payments returned.
If your company provides corporate-matching of employee donations, you may instead choose to make a donation to our associated student body fund and request a receipt to submit for corporate-matching. Corporate matching dollars help offset fees not received. Please speak with Mrs. Lawson if this is an option for you.
The cook at Science School is wonderful and can assist with any dietary needs your child might have. We have never had any problem with children getting food that they were not supposed to eat. There is a vegetarian/vegan offering at every meal. In fact, most of the field teachers and other staff who work at the Headlands are vegetarians. Also, we have found that “picky eaters” eat very well at science school.
Medication is also not a problem. We will give you forms, before we go, to make arrangements for your child to have the proper medication at the proper time. Teachers will dispense and record medication given at the appropriate time each day.
We also have worked with children who wet the bed, sleep-walk, or have sleeping problems. As long as you alert us to these problems, we can make sure that they are taken care of in a way that will not embarrass your child.
The children are supervised 24 hours a day. They sleep inside; the boys in the boys’ dorm, the girls in the girls’ dorm. They are separate buildings. Adults sleep in the dorms with the children, on a minimum 1:20 ratio.
We always need parent chaperones to accompany us on our trip. To keep scheduling tight and straightforward we request that each parent chaperone commits to coming for the full week. Some companies will let you go if they know that you are helping at Science School, and others will donate the value of your time towards our program. We have to have one adult for every ten children we take. If you can arrange this time and would like to go, please let us know as soon as possible. If you are able and interested in going and your child is reluctant to have you attend, please see us. Note that you will not be in your child's hiking group, and often see them only at breakfast and dinner in the dining hall.
This will be the 40th year that children from Garden Gate have gone to Marin Headlands. This will be Mrs. Lawson’s 13th year, Mr. Casey’s 9th year, and Mrs. Dange's 3rd year. Former Garden Gate teacher Mr. Rosenberg is planning on accompanying us and has been going for 20 years.
We look forward to this wonderful educational experience for your children.
Mrs. Lawson
Mr. Casey
Mrs. Dange