Mountain Kid Messenger
S'more Outdoor Core - Welcome Back 2026-2027
Your Outdoor Core Day of the Week
Choose a day of the week to be your official Outdoor Core time. Sometimes it will be a full-day field trip. Sometimes just a 30 minute activity. Having a Mountain Kid Monday, a Trekking Tuesday, Walking Wednesday, Thunderbolt Thursday, or a Field Day Friday will build enthusiasm and focus for a more consistent habit of going and learning outside regularly.
And remember that the walking field trip permission form, once completed will cover all trips to your Learning Landscapes site adjacent to the school.
Morning Mountain Moment
The way you start each day sets the tone you desire for your kids. Adding an Outdoor Core / Mountain Kid element to this is a simple and brief way of integrating it into your classroom culture. Along with the date, considering including a check-in that could include: weather, moon phase, sunrise, a nature observation from home, a nature insight from you or a kid related to your Outdoor Core Year.
5 Outside
5 Outside simply means five minutes outside. Whether this is done first thing or last thing, taking five clear minutes to intentionally step outside and take in what the outdoors has to offer is a solid well-being hack.
This could be a silent mindfulness exercise. This could be a sensory observation capturing what is happening in that moment. It could be more tied to your Outdoor Core thematic year - weather, birds, insects. The point is that it does not take long to have perhaps the best 5 minutes of your day.
PUSD Buses & Field Trips
A big shift in 2026-2027 is our school buses. While the long relationship with district-wide daily routes has changed, many dedicated PUSD staff have worked tirelessly to make sure that we have buses to support some of our core Outdoor Core field trips. We will be sharing two buses across the county and many programs. Timely and thoughtful scheduling is essential.
Please contact Rob Wade, who will work with Transportation to schedule your Outdoor Core field trips.
And please take 3 minutes to listen to this "Yellow Bus" song by Justin Roberts that is a favorite of 6th graders on the Plumas to Pacific Trip.
Feather River Land Trust
FRLT is the sponsor of Learning Landscapes which set the foundation for Outdoor Core. We acknowledge FRLT and the support they provide year after year, in perpetuity, with no strings attached.
Learning Landscapes Field Handbook
This handbook was written to guide teachers and any adult guide for kids through the why, how's and what's of place-based learning in our amazing Upper Feather River Watershed region. The where is here and the when is any moment of every day.
A printed copy of this handbook is available for every PUSD Mountain Teacher. A digital copy is available through the link.
K-12 Field Trips to Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center
After almost 40 years of visioning and 5 years of design and construction, the Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Centeris open and ready to support you and your class. They have developed a seasonal field trip program that directly aligns with Outdoor Core so it is a bullseye for your time. Please reach out to Jenna Holland, SVP Manager to schedule your docent-led adventure.
Nature Journal Connection
How to Teach Nature Journaling
Wild Wonder Foundation
Kindergarten - The Garden Year
Please share this short video to welcome your Mountain Kids to their new Garden Year.
Shared Drive
Follow the link to the PUSD Google Drive's Kindergarten Outdoor Core Shared Drive. These are your digital curriculum resources.
NEW 36 Week Outdoor Core Curriculum
In your Outdoor Core Shared Drive you will find the 36 week curriculum guide to better walk you and your Mountain Kids through the Plumas County seasons of our Outdoor Core year. See the link below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zDb13a9HrN_gu7FVqOrbD7GqExVL8TLWZdUYxUiRT0w/edit?usp=sharing
On the PUSD Website and YouTube Channel live the video resources I have created and curated in recent years. Follow the link to get to the main page and then select your grade level.
Getting Started
Kindergarten is where the whole journey starts. Kids get their Klean Kanteen and first sticker. They get their first field journal where the scientist languages of pictures, words, and numbers first come into play. Start small and simple. The main Mountain Kid science muscle we want them to exercise is WONDER. It is actually emphasized in Next Generation Science Standards and the California Science Framework. Set everything else aside and take the time to wonder. Have a wonderful year.
Every School has a Garden
This year our school gardens are all full of harvest as we start a new school year, but the garden coordinator role we have come to depend on has changed as you are aware. We are working with many local farmers and gardeners as well as FRC to fill the vacancy but there will be some transition before all is finally in place. Tap into Rugged Roots and other local farms for some off site infusion of farms and gardens. And remember that you do have experience and wisdom in the garden through past years so be confident as you guide your Mountain Kids into the new cycle of learning at school. It is always a little odd to begin the learning cycle even as the school garden will be coming to end of its growing cycle through the next two months. I leave these details in your very capable hands.
Weather Watch
Weather happens every day and so you have daily opportunities to explore and observe. Keep it simple. Hot, warm, cool, cold. Windy. Cloudy. As the year progresses you can go further with this and even partner with the 3rd or 6th grade who both study weather. and yes it all starts with wonder.
First Grade - Year of the Invertebrate
Please share this short video to welcome your Mountain Kids to their new Year of the Invertebrate.
Shared Drive
Follow the link to the PUSD Google Drive's First Grade Outdoor Core Shared Drive. These are your digital curriculum resources.
NEW 36 Week Outdoor Core Curriculum
In your Outdoor Core Shared Drive you will find the 36 week curriculum guide to better walk you and your Mountain Kids through the Plumas County seasons of our Outdoor Core year. See the link below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xH6u-_3Swq9eKuYnVtYfsSubaWmEeAMOGVFByVvufJk/edit?usp=sharing
On the PUSD Website and YouTube Channel live the video resources I have created and curated in recent years. Follow the link to get to the main page and then select your grade level.
Getting Started
Begin as all things do, with what they already know. Now invertebrate is a big, four syllable word and packed in with it is a lot of science possibility so keep it simple. It is just an animal with no backbone. We are just thinking about our spineless Sierra Nevada species which mostly are little creatures - insects, spiders, snails, slugs, centipedes, millipedes, and even crawdads. We almost called this the year of the Bug, but teachers voted and liked the more scientific naming of invertebrate. For every creepy crawly there is a beautiful butterfly.
After their Garden Year they should already know a fair amount. And this is a big, important year. There are more invertebrates on the planet than any other animlia. Without our invertebrates, and especially without our pollinators, there would not be life as we know it. No food. No fiber. Invertebrates make the world go 'round.
Just the regular venturing outside to see what is crawling, climbing, digging, and flying and keeping track of that is your field core activity. And nature gifts you a break in the winter as surviving insects either migrate or hibernate. More on that then.
So some of the best science education is to observe and record our invertebrates. Our field journaling is perfect for that. Your kids simply record who they saw, where they were, and when they observed it. Keep it simple and celebrate your discoveries.
Astronomy
So astronomy for first grade is a simple cut. The sun and the moon are our two big objects in the sky and getting to know them as we see them (but not stare directly at) is just about observing and wondering. A year is how long it takes to travel around the sun. A month is essentially a full cycle of the moon, from new to full and back. And everyday the sun and moon rise and set to our eyes but change just a little. The Mystery Science Spinning Sky Unit also has new lessons to support Sun & Shadows and Moon & Stars.
Second Grade - Year of the Herp
Please share this short video to welcome your Mountain Kids to their new Year of the Herp (Reptiles and Amphibians)
Shared Drive
Follow the link to the PUSD Google Drive's Second Grade Outdoor Core Shared Drive. These are our digital curriculum resources.
NEW 36 Week Outdoor Core Curriculum
In your Outdoor Core Shared Drive you will find the 36 week curriculum guide to better walk you and your Mountain Kids through the Plumas County seasons of our Outdoor Core year. See the link below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qcE9cmb_Z54YrrQONzbioaYB6QEP28QSrX5DYsW-mpQ/edit?usp=sharing
On the PUSD Website and YouTube Channel live the video resources I have created and curated in recent years. Follow the link to get to the main page and then select your grade level.
Getting Started
Yes, the science shortcut for reptiles and amphibians is Herp. Herp comes from the Greek words for reptile and "creep". Now that we have that out of the way, I want to say I truly love this year. I know the lizards and snakes don't make too many fans, but the turtles, frogs, and salamanders round out a very important group of animals that are very sensitive to changes in our mountain environment. Drought is tough but Dixie was devastating.
Herps need heroes, and your 2nd grade Mountain Kids are those heroes! Because they are very susceptible to predation, our herps are hard to find. Between their adaptations of camouflage and stealth it requires those same skills from your kids. And your Mountain Kids have likely caught their share of bluebellies, alligator lizards, and garter snakes. They will know a little but they will learn a lot more this year.
And you will have a natural break in Winter when the cold temps drive all of our herps into hibernation (brumation). So use these summer into fall weeks and months well.
Keep Records
Your Mountain Kids can be a part of recording important phenomena as they see their first of each species of the calendar year. For each sighting they would record - Who they saw. When they saw it (date and time), and Where they saw it. Please share those with me and your 2nd grade colleagues around the region. Comparing and contrasting observations in different elevations and habitats is great science!
Third Grade - Year of the Mammal
Please share this short video to welcome your Mountain Kids to their new Year of the Mammal
Shared Drive
Follow the link to the PUSD Google Drive's Third Grade Outdoor Core Shared Drive. These are your digital curriculum resources.
NEW 36 Week Outdoor Core Curriculum
In your Outdoor Core Shared Drive you will find the 36 week curriculum guide to better walk you and your Mountain Kids through the Plumas County seasons of our Outdoor Core year. See the link below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VSk-ZReIk4VPmMXDkHoWSJ35gMUxUdMiLSveJxeA0PI/edit?usp=sharing
On the PUSD Website and YouTube Channel live the video resources I have created and curated in recent years. Follow the link to get to the main page and then select your grade level.
Getting Started
3rd grade is the beginning of the intermediate grades. In Outdoor Core we up the ante with Mammals. From the small and unassuming to the large and attention grabbing, mammals are on everyone's animal radar. Still start simple and small. Mountain Kids can likely share 1/3 of our mammals. Don't just brainstorm the names, but what they know about each mammal species.
Still there are many more species, and much more to know about them, as we track them throughout the year. The species adoption, study, and report will develop expertise as your kids become Junior Wildlife Biologists.
Weather Watch
Weather is a daily and even minute by minute phenomenon and an important part of the 3rd grade year. Weather is always happening in it's various ways and so you can study it anytime and anywhere. Just to remind some of the easiest and valuable weather phenomena
- Temperatures (High & Low)
- Wind (Direction & Speed)
- Precipitation (Amount& Type)
- Humidity (The relationship between temperature and humidity)
There are more but these are the quick ones. And remember when you look up the weather forecast, those meteorologists are faraway forecasters. We get to check their accuracy here on the ground.
Fourth Grade - Year of the Trout
Please share this short video to welcome your Mountain Kids to their new Year of the Trout.
Shared Drive
Follow the link to the PUSD Google Drive's Fourth Grade Outdoor Core Shared Drive. These are your digital curriculum resources.
NEW 36 Week Outdoor Core Curriculum
In your Outdoor Core Shared Drive you will find the 36 week curriculum guide to better walk you and your Mountain Kids through the Plumas County seasons of our Outdoor Core year. See the link below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12wn3DoM-9kecJtmfRPTPWCtcX-UtD4Is3HDopSyQ1kM/edit?usp=sharing
On the PUSD Website and YouTube Channel live the video resources I have created and curated in recent years. Follow the link to get to the main page and then select your grade level.
Getting Started
The second half of the year is heavy with activity but the first half is where the foundation is laid. These are Mountain Kids and so many likely have existing experience and knowledge about local trout species. As always we start with what the kids know.
The other part of the foundation is your local tributary. The creek or river closest to the school is your fork of the Feather River and the basis of life for the year. Getting to know this tributary and the many species that make it a healthy habitat takes time and repetition. The 3Cs - Cold, Clear, Clean Water, may be natural but it does not happen by accident. One of the things we change most in our towns and region where water flows.
Feather River Trout Unlimited
The amazing volunteers of FR Trout Unlimited are here for you again. This partnership is a wonderful part of your year as your kids get to learn from real local scientists and experienced anglers in the region. Most of you know Dave Wood (Trout in Classroom) Cindy Noble and Mike Kossow and the other volunteers from FRTU well. The name-link will take you to their email addresses. They will connect you to other local fish folks as needed.
Salmon Run Field Trip
While CRC does not do this trip due to distance, the rest of the PUSD has a big October trip down to the Feather River Fish Hatchery in Oroville to kayak with the migrating Chinook Salmon. These amazing fish used to spawn up here, closer to where we live, before the many dams and other obstructions removed their historic spawning grounds. Stay tuned for more information from me and our partners at the Feather River Aquatic Center. Your Outdoor Core Shared Drive has the permission slip and other trip docs.
Confirmed dates are:
- Tuesday, October 13 - QES
- Thursday, October 15 - CES & GES
Fifth Grade - Year of the Bird
Please share this short video to welcome your Mountain Kids to their new Year of the Bird
Shared Drive
Follow the link to the PUSD Google Drive's Fifth Grade Outdoor Core Shared Drive. These are your digital curriculum resources.
NEW 36 Week Outdoor Core Curriculum
In your Outdoor Core Shared Drive you will find the 36 week curriculum guide to better walk you and your Mountain Kids through the Plumas County seasons of our Outdoor Core year. See the link below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UdFPITImNApSYTW2DqKf9MWxz-T8oEMiWLELV-e_uFc/edit?usp=sharing
On the PUSD Website and YouTube Channel live the video resources I have created and curated in recent years. Follow the link to get to the main page and then select your grade level.
Getting Started
Start simple. Brainstorm all of the local birds your kids already know. There are 312 different species so there is room to grow no matter what they know. Your goal is not to see them all. It is to grow what you know through doing local science. Learn more about the birds you hear and see as we move through the seasons. The cast of characters will change.
PAS adds a lot of value to what you do as a 5th grade teacher. You not only have scientists behind you, you have an entire organization. PAS assembled a curriculum with us 5 years ago that still is a fundamental foundation for your Outdoor Core year.
Liz Ramsey from Plumas Audubon has confirmed that you can count on seasonal in person support this year from coordinator is Mikayla who provided an amazing year in 2025-2026. Please use the link below to connect with her. Mikayla will also be on hand at the Outdoor Core planning and partners day on August 20 training day.
You study more than birds in 5th grade. We do like to bundle our science learning so everything from birds migrating using the stars to constellations named for stars are easy connection points. Beyond that, the daily phenomena of changing length of days marked by sunrise and sunset times, and lunar phase changes are access points to get the kids getting down with looking up.
Sixth Grade - Watershed Year
Please share this short video to welcome your Mountain Kids to their new Watershed Year.
Shared Drive
Follow the link to the PUSD Google Drive's Sixth Grade Outdoor Core Shared Drive. These are your digital curriculum resources.
NEW 36 Week Outdoor Core Curriculum
In your Outdoor Core Shared Drive you will find the 36 week curriculum guide to better walk you and your Mountain Kids through the Plumas County seasons of our Outdoor Core year. See the link below.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10rgb0aBzgEO5dxUFZCWg5UI2EOGw6r7kvSOlJ0-VRWk/edit?usp=sharing
On the PUSD Website and YouTube Channel live the video resources I have created and curated in recent years. Follow the link to get to the main page and then select your grade level.
Getting Started
FREd is where the year really finds its footing but please do not wait for camp to start. 6th grade is the capstone of elementary school but it is also a middle school science year. Getting them into a rhythm with regular science is essential as your kids will have science every day through junior and senior high school.
These daily science habits don't have to be massive but they should communicate the value of science in their school day. An easy way is with your morning meeting, or however you start your school day. Identifying the date and then the science of that date - Weather, Moon Phase, Sunrise and Sunset times, will set some hairs in place that we will build on all year long.
FREd
Feather River Education (FREd ) Camp is where we really lock in and set the foundation for the year. Our "breadstack" activity is when we really introduce the fullness of the earth and space science year to the kids. From the deep space beyond our sphere (astronomy) to the atmosphere (climate & weather), the geosphere (geology), and hydrosphere (hydrology), this is where we will explore this year.
I will be in touch with more information and an appointment to visit your class. Your forms are in your Google Drive Watershed Shared Folder. Your camp dates are below.
- Chester & Greenville - September 8-11, 2026
- CRC - September 22-25, 2026
- Quincy - September 29 - October 2, 2026
One last FREd prep is to remind that we will do a 9 mile hike in the Bucks Lake Wilderness to the top of Spanish Peak. This is a 20 year tradition and every Mountain Kid does it. It is not easy but it is easier if the kids are prepared. Just getting into one and two mile habits to your Learning Landscape site each week will help. Get the kids excited and hooked on counting steps or other fitness habit. This is where Mountain Kid becomes literal.
Outdoor Core Mountain Kid
Email: rwade@pcoe.k12.ca.us
Website: https://www.pcoe.k12.ca.us/apps/pages/OutdoorCore
Location: Upper Feather River Region
Phone: 530 283-6500 - (5257)