Coast Walkabout

California Coast WalkAbout:

Itinerary

The Trip at a Glance:

Walkabout part 2 (May 2014)

Chaperones

Room 25 Class of 2018 (November 2017):  Tudor Har (3), Rob (3), Marina (7), Marie (7), Barbara (7), Marla (4)

Room 29 Class of 2017 (March 2017): Eric Zirbel (3), Olga Meydbrey (4), Peggy LaBarbera (5-6), Connie/Vincent Collins (6)

Room 26 Class of 2017 (Feb 2017): Katy, AJ, Ingrid, Kaitlyn, Stephen, Ron

Room 25 Class of 2017 (Oct 2016): Colin McCracken, Bill Caraccio, Jim/Laura Rogers, Tim Gibson, Kristin Johansen

Room 25 (Nov 2015): John P, Violeto P, Kevin R, Leo R, Janet G, Diann W

Room 19 (May, 2014): Dawn, Agnela, Traci, Raquel, Jennie, David, Joe, Bob

Room 26 (??? 2014): 

Room 25 part 2 (March, 2014): Alan, Sarah, Amoreena, Roseanne, Lisa

Room 25 part 1 (October, 2013): Jennie, Tarek, Michael, Amoreena, Anu/David, Roseanne, Meagan

Any 8th (May 2013): Suds, Meagan, Robin, Dave/Theresa, Luis, Cathy, Kate

DC Alternative: (2012): Michael & Debbie

Student Docents

Docent Teams and Documents

-teams of 3ish

-choose topic from list below

-create g-doc, make public, share with me (chrisheumann@gmail.com)

-research and add text and pictures to your doc (should only be one page long)

Doc version of the chart above for room 26 is here

Packing List

Hikes

F.A.Q.

Room Assignments

Driving

In addition to your GPS and printed maps, please use the directions below:

Map

Walkabout 2 Map

Meals

Costs

Costs, May 2013 (4-day 8th grade trip)

Pictures:

Photos:

Photo Album

October 8 & 9, 2013:

Michael Tuason's Album

Emails/Announcements:

Feb 26, 2017

Hello Room 29 Parents,

I'm Chris Heumann, one of the 8th grade teachers.  Dan and Bonnie and I are really enjoying your kids this year and I'm especially eager to take them on their 3 day journey along the coast in 4.5 weeks (March 27, 28, 29).  Damian Romard sent out a quick email about the trip on Feb 7, but I don't think that any chaperones have volunteered yet.  So, the goal of this email is to describe the trip to you and hopefully entice 5 or 6 of you drive/chaperone, thus making this trip really happen.

Description & Locations:  This three-day two-night trip is a combination of hiking and driving and sight seeing that covers the coastal route from Santa Cruz to Stinson Beach.  There are some great trails to walk, little-know spots to visit, history to learn, and fun places to stay.  The hiking is significant but rarely too hard; parents can volunteer to either participate in any given hike or shuffle cars from starting points to ending points.  Much of the time, though, the whole group of kids and parents tours a place together.  If you are familiar with any of the places on this list, you'll quickly get the idea:

Monday: Wilder Ranch, Davenport, Wadell Creek, Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pescadero, Half Moon Bay, Point Montara Lighthouse.

Tuesday:  McNee Ranch, San Pedro Mountain, Pacifica, Golden Gate Park, Lands End, GG Bridge, Coastal Trail to Marin Headlands.

Wednesday: Conzelman Road & batteries, Point Bonita Lighthouse, Mount Tamalpais (West Point Inn, rock amphitheatre, Pantol), Steep Ravine trail, Stinson Beach.

The Walkabout page of my site has all the additional information you might want to see, but pay particular attention to the trip overview map, the chaperone section of the FAQ document, the driving directions pages, the student docent section, and the photos.

Lastly, if you want to get the low-down from other parents who have gone on the trip in the past, please do -- they'll be the best source of information (and hopefully motivation)

Here is a list of chaps from some previous trips:

Room 26 (Feb 2017): Katy, (Saam) AJ (Aneil), Ingrid Christensen (Eddie), Kaitlyn (Elijah), Stephen Lord (Kiki), Ron McDowell (Casey

Room 25 (Oct 2016): Colin McCracken (AIdan), Bill Caraccio (Will), Jim/Laura Rogers (Gwen) , Tim Gibson (Caedon), Kristin Johansen (Ayden)

Room 25 (Nov 2015): John P, Violeto P, Kevin R, Leo R, Janet G, Diann W

Please let me and/or Damian know if you need to know more and certainly please consider coming along.  Needless to say, without you parent chaperones, the trip can't happen.  :)

Chris

Feb 7, 2016

Hello Parents of Room 26 Kids,

Sorry for the late evening email, but highway 17 was closed earlier and I just got home.

Tomorrow morning we embark on our three day walkabout up the wet, windy, and wild coast from Santa Cruz to Stinson Beach.  Preparation and flexibility and positive attitudes will be a key factor in making this an adventure rather than a bummer, so let me list some key things:

1. Make sure that your kid has adequate clothing, in both quantity and weather-ready.  The packing list shows the minimum for days like those ahead.  Additionally, they need to have something truly waterproof to wear during hikes and shoes that can trudge through soggy ground and mud.

2. The day pack should have a big lunch for day 1, lots of snacks, and some type of writing pad and implements, in a ziploc bag.  There should be room for spare clothing.

3. Games will likely be a form of entertainment if we are stuck somewhere or if we stay at a hostel for a longer time in lieu of a hike or two.  Yes, they can bring their phones, but I'm hoping that the kids will spend their time playing face-to-face games that they bring if possible.

4. Please have a "stern pep talk" with your kid about putting the health and happiness of the group before their own preferences/needs.  As I've gotten to know this group over the past two months, I've been brutally honest about some of the negative interaction traps that they fall (or jump) into, and while they are receptive during discussions, the changes in actions have been slight or even non-existent for some.  I'll put as much enthusiasm and humor and optimism into them as I can on this trip, but the collective energy of the group is far greater than mine.

5. Take a minute, if possible and in whatever way you can, thank the 6 chaperones who are making this happen!

Positive-note ending:  Challenges, adventures, and great times in the outdoors are the things that make a journey into a joy.  We'll get there!

Chris

Oh, and if anyone has a metal-spout turkey baster, I'd love to borrow it for sucking grease off the griddle during our bacon mass production. (plastic tipped ones melt).

Feb 4, 2017

Hello Parents of Room 26,

At your last parent meeting I described the California Coast Walkabout to the group, showed pictures, and explained what I could about the trip.  That night 6 great parents stepped up to chaperone the trip (Ingrid, Katy, Kaitlyn, AJ, Steve, and Ron) and we met a few weeks ago to go over all of the details.  Since then, the kids have created car & room groups, discussed the packing list, and, most importantly, learned much about one specific part of the trip, during which each will serve as tour guide.  All information about this trip, by the way, is at www.tinyurl.com/dcswalkabout.

​The purpose of this email is to make sure that you (parents) are well informed about the trip and willing to help your kid pack their stuff, know about their tour-guide location, and be familiar with the itinerary.

• 1. Here is the packing list.  One addition that isn't well addressed is a waterproof shell, poncho, or jacket -- we'll likely be hiking ​in the rain, and a dry/warm kid is a happy kid!

  2. If your kid takes medications, please get them to Bonnie along with the authorization form, if necessary.  She will give them to your class' OFT coordinator, Ron to administer.

  3. The itinerary is quite specific but we will likely stray from it in accordance with time constraints, student interest/energy, and weather.

  4. The students, in groups of three, have learned a great deal about one aspect of the trip.  They've created documents, linked from this part of my site, and should be ready to teach the rest of the class all about that location's interesting facts and discussion-worthy topics.  Please, if you have time, ask them to practice their "presentation" on you, perhaps using their document as a guide.

  5. If you haven't taken care of the donation for the trip, please take a look at this accounting sheet to convince yourself that it is (hopefully) worth the cost.

  6. Our return time and pick-up time at DCS is planned for 7 PM on Friday, but it may fluctuate quite a bit.  In order for me to give you all updates, I'm forming a "Remind" group for your class, which will allow me to text everyone at once -- cell and internet service can be spotty on how 1 along the headlands coast.  To be a part of this list, please text a message that says "rm26grad17" to 81010 (yes, the content of the message should be rm26grad17 and the phone number is 81010.   No spam, I promise. :)

  7. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, please reply to this email so that I can confirm that my email list is accurate and that everyone is well enough informed.

Thanks for getting through this whole email and for doing all 7 of those tasks above.  I am very excited to share this potentially wonderful experience with your kids!

February 15, 2014

"Cal Coast Walkabout Reminder"

Hello Parents of Room 19!

It has been great to get to know more of you, since that time I pitched the "Walkabout" trip during the parent meeting back in November.  I'm still very excited to be able to take your class' kids on the California Coast Walkabout on May 13, 14, and 15.  Six great parents responded to my initial chaperone request email of 11/26/12 (Dawn, Angela, Jewel, David, Bob, Joe).  The hostels are confirmed and paid-for, so it is definitely a "go!". I'll be meeting with your kids quite a few times to prep for the trip and learn all about the places we'll be going.

As I mentioned in that first email, I've created a webpage on my site that has an abundance of information about all aspects of the trip and when you get a chance, please take a look.  At the top of the page I've embedded a "Room 19 Planning Document" that has some things specific to your group. 

At the Yosemite meeting last week I heard from one parent that they hadn't received my email and were unaware of the trip -- I can imagine that could lead to problems!  So, just so I can be sure that my communications are getting through, would you please reply to this message just to let me know that you've received it?  (could someone also repost it to your class' Yahoo! group?).  My email is chrisheumann@gmail.com and my cell is (408) 482-2394; please ping me when you get a moment (now?!).  I'm looking forward to "checking off" a response from each of you, and also to a fantastic trip in May.

November 26, 2013

Dear Parents of Room 19,

My name is Chris Heumann and I'm a 7th grade teacher in room 25 at DCS.  It was good to see some of you on the evening of November 20th and I appreciated the opportunity to explain the Walkabout to you, show pictures, and discuss the possibilities with you. If things work out, I will be honored to work with Ms. West to take your kids on this three-day two-night exploration of the coastal trails & hidden gems from Santa Cruz to Marin in May (probably the 13th, 14th, 15th, depending on hostel availability -- I had mentioned a 20-22 date range, but the Point Montara Hostel is booked during that entire week).

I've created a webpage on my site that has an abundance of information about all aspects of the trip and when you get a chance, please take a look.  At the top of the page I'll embed a "Room 19Planning" document upon which we will write things specific to your group.  

One of the first things that needs to be taken care of is to make sure that there are enough parents from your class who are willing to drive and chaperone the whole trip.  We will need seats for the 26 kids in the class, and that usually takes 6 cars.  Please check out the itinerary and your calendars to see if you might be able to come along (May 13, 14, 15).  I won't pay reservation fees for the hostels until we're sure that we have commitments from enough adults.

Thanks, and enjoy your holidays.  I'm hoping that this trip becomes a reality... I think that it is a great experience.

October 6, 2013

The Marin Headlands Hostel is located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and as of Thursday 10/3 it has had to close to visitors due to the partial government shut-down. Therefore we will have to change our plans.  On Tuesday, I sent out an email to this effect, proposed alternatives, and asked for parent and student feedback.  All who responded supported option 1; we will, if necessary, simply cut the trip short by 20 hours, coming home Wednesday evening at about 8:00 PM after a very full day.  So, this trip is now a one night trip (Point Montara, Tuesday night as planned) and we will return to DCS on Wednesday at 8:45.  We'll add a Marin Headlands day to the San Francisco trip later in the year. 

Feb 20, 2013

Dear Eighth Grade Students and Parents,

Last year, while most of the 8th grade was in Washington DC, the stay-behind kids and I spent 4 the days exploring the coast from Santa Cruz to Marin with overnights at the youth hostels of Montara (Half Moon Bay), Fort Mason (SF), and Marin Headlands (Sausalito). This year, I would like to offer that trip again (but not during the DC time) on Monday through Thursday, May 20 to 23. I'm calling it a "walkabout", because I like the connection to the aboriginal independence ritual, and also because I want the kids to know that it is a bit demanding in that regard -- they'll probably walk about 5 miles each of the days (nature trails and urban exploration). Participating kids will be involved in planning the details with me.

Like the optional camping trip from the Fall, it will be open to all 8th graders who like that sort of thing. The number of students who can come will be determined by the number of parents who can drive and chaperone, with a cap at about "one class set". I'm hoping that, by some magic, there are 27ish kids who want to go, and 6ish parents who can come along for the whole trip. For the kids not going, the teachers will rearrange the classes for those 4 days so that kids from room 25 who don't go are split into the other two homeroom classes in numbers equal to those from those classes who do go.

March 2, 2013

Dear Suds, Meagan, Robin, Dave-Theresa, Luis, and Cathy.

The CalCoast Walkabout trip is definitely a "go", thanks to the 6 of you who are willing to come along and drive.  I am very excited for this trip and a bit nervous -- I really want it to be a powerful and positive experience for the kids and will work hard to make that happen.  My purpose of this letter is to get irrevocable confirmation that you can participate in the whole trip and to let you know what you are signing up for.  

I'm sure by now you have browsed the page that describes the trip including its embedded documents (itinerary, budget, map, packing list, photos) and I hope that it has given you a good feel for what the trip is about and has to offer.  Your roles will be both general and specific, so let me describe each.

General Roles:

• 1. Help assure student safety and accountability.  Keeping the kids aware of their surroundings as well as responsive to instructions.

  2. Constant (small group) head-counter and kid-herder.  We need to always know where every kid is and they need to know where you are.

  3. Selective student engagement and separation.  Knowing when to step in and engage kids with their env't, and when to leave them alone.

Specific Roles:

• 1. To know the route, to assemble car groups, and to keep in touch via cell phone (I'd like us to use Google Latitude during our days in SF -- check it out).

  2. To help, in pairs, with the shopping and cooking for one of the lunches or dinners (see itinerary for last year's meal list and shopping list)

  3. To monitor one bedroom at each hostel (you don't have to sleep in there)

  4. To become knowledgeable about one place on our route and serve as the "docent" for that place (ie. Wilder Ranch, Fisherman's Wharf, Embarcadero, ChinaTown, Coit Tower, etc)

  5. Choose to either "hike with" or "shuffle cars" for the hiking excursions

Please reply with a comment with the degree to which you agree with all of those things and are ready to take this trip on with me, and/or with concerns.

Please reply asap because I'll be putting down money to the hostels on Monday morning!

October 7, 2013 (night before)

Hi all you amazing chaperones.  Last-minute check-in time.

1. Meals.  A well-fed crowd is a happy hiking crowd.  

Take a look at the meal timing, shopping, and prep document.

Tuesday snack (buy ahead of time)  Meagan and Alan

Tuesday dinner (salad & garlic bred -- prep right when we arrive:  Roseanne & Jennie

Wednesday breakfast (waffles, fruit, eggs):  Amoreena & Tarek

Wednesday snack (buy at Linda Mar Safeway): Anu & David

Wednesday dinner (sandwiches & soup -- somewhere): Chris & Meagan

2.  Car Groups & Driving Directions:

The kids created the groups together but I had to change it up a bit because of a SNAFU regarding DoJ clearance.  The current list is on the driving directions document.  I have also printed copies of the driving directions along with maps that have the shuttle routes highlighted.  On non-shuttle segments, lets keep as much as a caravan as possible just to keep me from worrying about who might be lagging or lost or whatever.

3. Games for Tuesday Evening:  We have use of a big room in the Fog-Signal building and I want to get the kids involved in some large group games from about 8 to 9.  It would be great if some/all of you could be there to help out as well.  Then, if the atmosphere is right, I would also like to take them out somewhere on the bluffs to just sit in the dark and listen to the waves and feel the atmosphere for a few minutes. An ambitious goal.  If it happens, please put yourselves near those most likely to use the silence as their prime opportunity to add in a fart noise or whatever.  

4. Key Ring Name Tag & Car License Plate:  Please label your car key with a name tag and car type.  Also, I'll ask each of you to mark an index card with your car type, color, and license.  That card goes in one partition of the "key box".

5. Hi Five to all of you for being so cool as to make this trip a "go" for the class.

The very first"CalCoastCruisers Discussion Document

Old Rosters

Roster (May 2013)

Participation by Homeroom:

Roster, 2012:

1. Aidan 

2. Amos 

3. Abbi 

4. Ben 

5. Isaac 

6. Karim 

7. Kevin 

8. Angelina 

9. Michael 

10. Sarah 

11. Tomer