Bon Voyage!

Well, here are some pictures of Robert and Braden leaving. These are from leaving the school up until the security gates. We would have gotten some from further in, like the plane taking off etc. but as my new friend, Jacob, the 300 lb security guard, explained to me, "Non-Ticketed persons are not allowed beyond the security gates!" Well, I will nurse my bruises.
-Cate

Ya Gotta Follow Your Dreams

Since Clearwater's beginnings in 1996, we've always had a substantial number of word connoisseurs--people who love playing with words by writing stories, music lyrics, plays on words and studying the origins, nuances and cadence of words. Eight-year-old Mara is a prolific rhymer and song writer. She loves putting together rhythms and unusual rhymes on the fly and comes up with some lovely and fascinating combinations. As she spins delightful phrases, she analyzes which ones make logical sense and relishes the ones that are simply fun to listen to and say.

Here's a song she wrote recently and brought to school, although it is not one of her rhyming compositions. The tune exists in her head and is not yet available in musical notation.

Ya gotta follow your dreams.
Ya gotta do it no matter what.
Even if it's a long shot there.
Ya truly gotta follow it to your dreams.

And This is how you do it.
You can wish upon a shooting star.
But no matter what, you gotta
Work for it.

And this is how I know.
I once wished upon a shooting star.
But I had to work the rest of
the way there.

End of post.

Cooking Begins for Denmark Trip Fundraising Dinner

Yesterday students Robert and Braden and their staff member mentor Mat began cooking for the dinner they will produce tomorrow. Today the intensity and duration of food and event preparations increased dramatically.

Mat and Robert chopping onion

Braden chopping basil

The dinner is one of the ways they are earning money for their two-month stay in Denmark while they attend Denmark's Sudbury school and explore that country and culture.



They cooked Gado Sauce, a peanut-based sauce that can be made ahead.



They also made a test batch of creme brulee. It was a test batch because they added some unexpected aromatic ingredients and wanted to find out how it would taste. I had the privilege of being a taster and I can testify that the creme brulee will be amazing.

Creme brulee ready for the oven

Creme brulee recipe (but without mystery aromatic ingredients). Click the image to enlarge.



Mat and Robert mixing creme brulee ingredients.
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Start of something fun

This is the first post on the account that Robert will be using for his trip to Denmark. This is pretty cool!
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Clearwater Contributes to PUD Conservation Savings

Last year our school worked with Snohomish County PUD to replace all our ancient fluorescent lighting with more efficient fixtures and bulbs. The utility offered generous rebate funding which almost completely covered our costs.

Today the Seattle Times reported that the 700 business (including Clearwater) that participated in PUD conservation programs in 2009 saved enough electricity to power 6,000 homes, saving PUD ratepayers $5.8 million.

Just today, School Meeting gave the go ahead to pursue a grant that the PUD is offering to install a photovoltaic solar demonstration project. We will post more if our grant application is approved.

We feel very proud of our contribution to significant energy conservation and wish to thank the parent and student volunteers and especially Mat and Stephanie for the hours they spent removing old fixtures and installing new ones.

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Paintball Excursion

Recently a group of students and two staff took our new bus to East Side Painball. They had a great time and several of them looked surprisingly unpainted on their return. In School Meeting last week one of the paintball participants suggested another trip, although the fee is probably too steep for enthusiasts to go very often.

Shane, one of the paintballers, took this picture before they all got started. Thanks, Shane!

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Students Cook Fundraising Dinner for Their European Trip

If you haven't read about Robert and Braden's upcoming two-month stay at a Sudbury school in Denmark and how they will represent Clearwater at the European Sudbury Conference in Berlin this spring, do so now. They hope this trip will encourage more travel and student exchange between Sudbury schools around the world.

To earn money for their trip before they leave at the end of the month, they (together with staff member and cooking mentor Mat Riggle) will cook a sumptuous Asian-themed meal with dessert on Saturday, March 20 from 4:00-7:00 PM at The Clearwater School. If you would like to eat delicious food, enjoy good entertainment and support them on this adventure, please RSVP no later than March 18 to The Clearwater School. The cost is $20 each for adults and $10 each for children. Please indicate in the RSVP if you have any diet restrictions and, if eating meat, whether you prefer pork or chicken.

Robert and Braden make Thai fresh rolls

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