The Lone Tree school board’s productive meeting on Wednesday, May 12 was punctuated by presentations, most notably about a field trip to some wild locales.

Fifth grade teacher Alexandra Oleson began the evening’s events discussing last week’s School of the Wild field trip. She and her students journeyed to local marshes and prairies to experience a more tactile approach to scientific learning.

Oleson had been a student teacher for the event in the past. When contacted, “I was like, ‘Oh yes, let’s do it!’” she said.

The fifth graders participated in activities like canoeing, atlatl demonstrations, shelter building, and dip netting.

“This, I would say, was [a] favorite because they got to get muddy and not get in trouble for it,” Oleson said.

The students hiked around, caught tadpoles and crayfish, and gained a greater understanding of the environments around them. Oleson said it was the perfect age to take a trip such as this one because it gave the students more responsibilities without making them feel overwhelmed.

She said the kids loved the trip and future excursions were being planned. Many students were able to apply lessons learned in the field to their studies.

“Every single one of them, when we came back, had something to tell me they learned that day,” Oleson said. “They can be lifelong learners and they don’t have to be in a classroom to do it.”

Middle school and high school principal Regan Stone discussed another experience conducted out of the classroom.

On May 7, Lone Tree’s fifth annual Middle School Olympics were held across the school. All students in the participating grades had the opportunity to join in.

“When you get kids out of the classroom into a different environment, they really thrive,” Stone said

Stone also reported that all 213 students from grades 6-11 completed Iowa Statewide assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) testing online.

Elementary principal Amber Jacque discussed testing on Wednesday, as well. She said 43% of students had completed the Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FAST) assessments, with 84% so far meeting the benchmark.

“The kids are really persevering and working really hard,” Jacque said.

On the topic of dairy, the board approved Lone Tree’s milk and bread bids for the upcoming school year. They also discussed epinephrine storage and approved for seniors to graduate providing they’ve met the necessary requirements.

The school board also announced they had raised $662.85 from Hills Bank’s quarterly Classroom Cash program.