17 Dec Fieldwork Coordinator Update – Dec 2020, Part 2
Title:
Fieldwork Coordinator Update – Dec 2020, Part 2
Date of Activity / Lesson:
Dec 2020
Location:
Homes, Backyards, Neighborhoods
Description:
Kindergarten: Family and Identity
Location:
Homes, Backyards, Neighborhoods
Description:
Kindergarten: Family and Identity
Description:
Kindergarten: Family and Identity
This fall the kindergarten class explored family diversity through close examination of people, place and time. We focused our study by looking closely at identity: What are the characteristics that make us who we are and how closely are they related to the place we live, the people we come from, history, historical events and the time in which we live? The kindergarteners considered the elements of self-identity and discussed how our beliefs, ideas, interests and appearance influence our sense of self. We then “traveled” to the Portland airport where we looked closely at the PDX mural entitled A Place Called Home to explore cultural, racial identity and diversity. We traveled in time through the creation of family trees, timelines, family artifacts and artistic representations of “identity” at The Portland Art Museum. The kindergartners shared how their families are unique through “family gifts,” recipes, and special places. We discovered diversity within our small kindergarten community and learned that the “Beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people.”
– Kindergarten Teacher, Kimberley Bonder
6th Grade: The Medical School of Colombo
This Fall, the 6th graders were gifted a free ride to the University of Colombo Medical School. In this hands-on unit, the students explored what it means to be human, looked deep into the organs and tissues that make us up, created cell models and analogies, bred marshmallow insects to explore genetics, and even dissected at home. The students taught each other about each body system to prepare for the MCAT (a tough exam on all the body systems). It was a proud moment when all the hard work paid off!
– 6th Grade Teacher, Lisa Colombo
7th/8th Grade: Trash and Recycling
This fall we took an extensive look at the system of extraction and deposition we call “trash.” We started with the foundational fact that just by being alive we naturally produce byproducts, like any living organism. We looked at how humans are different from other organisms around the planet in how we use what is around us. We then explored the definition of “trash” and how it can change based on who is looking at an item. We extended this concept in our exploration of the Honorable Harvest through Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass. Students read passages from Kimmerer’s book about the topics of Honorable Harvest and gratitude. Each time students seamlessly made connections between how we live and what we end up throwing away.
We also looked at the amount of trash in each of our neighborhoods by taking walks for three different days in the same areas to see what litter we could find. We were able to understand this data better through graphing and discussion. We used online resources from Metro to explore their transfer station, watch videos about what happens to trash after it is picked up from the curb, and even welcomed a Master Recycler as a guest speaker. Students took their foundational knowledge and created their own questions which drove 90% of our talk with Master Recycler, Colleen Johnston. Students really appreciated how Colleen was able to answer all of their questions! Using this experience students then created surveys about trash and recycling to learn more about how our community deals with these essential parts of being alive. The culmination of the unit had students analyzing the results of those surveys and presenting that data to each other.
Students also looked at the concept of Fast Fashion through our partnership with artist and author Nina Montenegro. Nina presented on how Fast Fashion creates a plethora of negative impacts, from the working conditions of those who are making the materials and clothing we buy, to the environmental impact of waste water from where the cloth is dyed, to actual clothes and how they are thrown away once the next fashion comes out. Nina also presented the concept of Slow Fashion as a response to the overproduction and wasteful practice of fast fashion. By reading excerpts from Nina’s book, Mending Life, students learned the concepts of mending and were tasked with mending an article of clothing as a small action project to reduce the impact of clothing waste. Our last class of the term students presented the results of their mending, their data from the surveys, and reflected on what they learned about trash and our part in the system.
– 7th/8th Grade math and science teacher, Chris Wyland
The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science Teachers and Sarah K. Anderson, Fieldwork Coordinator, The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science
Stay tuned for more updates of Place-Based Education (PBE) adventures at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science.
Sarah is a former public school educator and current higher education professional specializing in alumni engagement and community building. As an educator, she saw firsthand the barriers that can prevent students from reaching their full potential. She is passionate about breaking down those barriers, advancing educational equity, and ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive.
Kathy has been a part of The Cottonwood School since the beginning back when it was Southwest Charter School! She’s served in official roles on staff as Registrar, Student Relations and Community Life Coordinator and in unofficial roles as mentor, friend and Students’ Biggest Fan. She joined the board in 2026 to support building out an alumni network and continue to support students and staff.
I grew up in Denver, CO with the Rocky Mountains as my playground, and spent my childhood summers exploring everything that the desert southwest has to offer. I believe that all children should have the opportunity to thrive in the outdoors and think deeply about their environment, which is why I am so drawn to the Cottonwood School and its field based educational philosophy. My childhood experiences in the mountains and my inherent curiosity for the natural world led me to pursue a degree in Geology, and I graduated from Smith College in 2025 with my BA in Spanish and Geosciences. I spent summers in college working for overnight camps with Girl Scouts of Colorado and did a math teaching fellowship my senior year, and knew that I wanted to continue working in education post graduation. I spent the 2025-26 school year as the before and aftercare Site Director at Cottonwood, and am so excited to be joining the team full time this year as an Educational Assistant for the Upper Grade classrooms. Outside of work you can find me reading lots of epic fantasy and sci-fi books, exploring Oregon’s local geology, hiking, playing board games, and obsessing over my house plants (ask me about my Night Blooming Cereus!).
My name is Sam Lloyd. I grew up in California and studied at UC Berkeley for my undergraduate degree, I majored in Economics at Berkeley then earned my Master’s in Education at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. I began my teaching career in Oakland, working with 4th and 5th graders for five school years, and about eight years ago, I moved to Portland with my wife and two daughters. Since then, I’ve been teaching middle school math in local private schools. I joined Cottonwood in 2025.
Growing up in an organic farming intentional community in upstate New York meant spending most of my childhood exploring and learning from the environment around me. After my family moved here to Portland when I was in middle school, my love for learning from the land continued, and while at Cleveland High School I was a regular Outdoor School volunteer. This was a formative experience, and propelled me to pursue teaching science in middle school.
My name is Matthew Gaffney, call me Gaff! I have spent my IT career up to this point doing EdTech and it has been such a rewarding experience. Blending the worlds of technology and education has been a joy to do so far. I strive to make our student’s learning experience the best it can be, and alway try to leave a situation better than I found it. In my free time, I love to go to concerts, explore the wonderful nature of the PNW, and play with my Goldendoodle, Simon. I think every single day is an opportunity to learn something new, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds at Cottonwood. Have the best day 🙂
Stephen Pham (he/him) is an educator, equity strategist, and nonprofit management consultant who works with social impact organizations to refine their strategy, strengthen their DEI lens, and build organizational capacity to achieve equity-driven impact. He partners with organizations across a wide range of stages and issue areas, including research organizations, housing innovation hubs, community foundations, and education nonprofits. Before starting his consulting practice, Stephen was a DEI and nonprofit management leader, supporting sector-wide efforts to scale equity-centered instructional and organizational practices. Stephen’s 12+ years of experience include heading nonprofit operations, talent, and culture at The Learning Accelerator, leading the national innovation strategy for Rocketship Public Schools, serving as a Blended Learning Master Teacher for BetterLesson, and teaching 5th-grade STEM in East San José.
Chris (he/him) has been interested in birds and wildlife since he was a child. Chris grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where he first started to make observations of the natural world. He received a BS in Zoology from The Evergreen State College where he was able to get hands-on experience in ornithology, marine mammalogy, and tropical ecology. Upon graduating Chris worked for Audubon South Carolina where he participated in ongoing prothonotary warbler studies and led kayak and canoe tours through a swamp. Realizing the importance of science communication and education, he would go on to receive his Masters in Environmental Education from Western Washington University. After graduating, he spent three years as an Interpretive Park Ranger with the National Park Service, working at North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, and Saguaro National Park.
As an artist and educator, I believe the foundational tools for learning and engaging in creativity are play and humor. I look forward to putting this into practice as the art teacher at Cottonwood School.
Contact Paola: 
Hello! I am Daniel McArthur– I joined Cottonwood community in 2024 as Middle School Humanities teacher. I’m a passionate educator with a love for history and writing. I’ve been lucky enough to work with students in a wide range of settings, from an all-girls Catholic school to a homeless youth resource center to public high schools in Detroit, Michigan. In my roles, I’ve seen my students do amazing things when compassionate teaching meets high-expectations. I am originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, where I developed a deep love for mountains and lakes. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy reading, running, and hanging out with my cats. I am always looking for a new book or park recommendation. Let me know if you have any suggestions!
Cayla first joined our school community in 2023 as the before and after school Site Director. Then in 2024 as the 2/3 Teacher Assistant , and in 2025 as a Co-Teacher in the 2/3 classroom. She is thrilled to step into her new role as the Kindergarten Teacher! During her time at Cottonwood, she has deeply valued building meaningful connections with the students and Cottonwood community. Cayla is passionate about place-based education and creating an environment where all children can thrive and be supported.
My introduction to this wonderful school was as a parent back in 2009. My child grew up and now is a college student. The mission of CSCS has always been dear to my heart, and I returned in January 2022 to work in the school office.
Kristin is Cottonwood’s School Counselor where she supports student social emotional learning, academic engagement and access, and mental health and well-being at school. She is invested in integrating social emotional learning and wellness across our curriculum at Cottonwood. By teaching students to connect with themselves, each other, the wider community and the earth, we can build a more equitable world.
Sara was born and raised in Montana where she grew and nurtured her love and curiosity of learning from and about the natural world with the guidance of her parents and her community. She moved to Oregon in 2007 and attended Pacific University where she earned a BA in Environmental Studies. She left undergrad feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, and sought out education as a way to foster empathy, critical thinking and creativity in the next generation. Post college, she worked on a ranch in Montana, rode her bicycle across the country and traveled to far away places just like her childhood story hero, Miss Rumphius. She spent some years working in various educational settings such as the Bird Alliance of Oregon, and then decided to pursue her graduate degree in Education at Portland State.
Liza joined the Cottonwood staff in 2018 as the full-time special education teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and a dual Master’s degree in Reading & Special Education from the University of Michigan. Liza grew up in a large family in the Northeast that included a special needs sibling. Before getting her masters, she worked in administrative positions at schools in Boston and Southeastern Michigan. After grad school, she and her husband relocated to the Northwest for access to all of the outdoor activities in the Cascades and Oregon coast. In Portland, she has taught special education at Beaverton High School, Peninsula Elementary and Portland Village School. She is thrilled to be at Cottonwood where she appreciates the close knit community of staff & students along with the school’s place based education mission. In her free time, Liza enjoys spending time with her family in the mountains or at the coast, buzzing around in her EV, and enjoying the many great coffee houses in the Northwest.
McLean is thrilled to return to Cottonwood this year in a new role, as the P.E. Teacher/Specials and Middle School Teacher Assistant, after spending the past year traveling through New Zealand and Indonesia. He began his journey at Cottonwood in the fall of 2019 as a student teacher in one of the 4/5 classrooms, later stepping into the role of Middle School Humanities teacher, where he taught for four years. McLean brings a passion for integrating music, storytelling, theater, play, and outdoor learning into his teaching, and he’s excited to weave these elements into his new position! Outside the classroom, you’ll find him camping, playing music, gardening, watching and playing sports, and exploring the world.
Kimberley spent ten years teaching preschool through third grade at Trillium Charter School and has spent the years since teaching grades K through 2nd. 
Amanda, a longtime educator and leader in Oregon’s public charter school community, returns to The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science. She believes passionately in teaching youth to care about their community through hands-on learning, so they have the tools and enthusiasm to become active and informed citizens.