Outdoor activity plays a significant role in the Whittier Adventist Elementary School curriculum.

For example, students of grades five to eight made some amazing discoveries recently as they excavated an archaeological site developed on their campus by their teacher and principal Daniel Weston. Among the old and not-so-old treasures found in a 3-foot by 6-foot area were more than 150 beads, several arrowheads, 23 wooden pegs, 24 glass chunks, an elephant sculpture and 83 marbles.

Students carefully sifted through the layers of sand and soil, plotting the locations of each item or cluster of items found. Students had chosen jobs they would enjoy; some chose to record, some chose digging, others sifted, and some managed the discoveries.

From their work, students concluded that the people who had lived in the area were traders—trading with people as far away as China. Since the soil was sandy, it was decided that the glass was probably made locally, possibly used for currency. All items were in fairly good shape, so it is likely the site had not been a dump. The items may have been stashed for trading and forgotten. The marbles seemed to indicate they enjoyed games.

“Overall, this fun educational activity gave students an idea of what it is like to be an archaeologist and an opportunity to learn about life long ago,” said Weston. “All finds usually are turned over to a museum, but in this case the students were able take home some of their findings.

Another outdoor activity for grades five through eight each year involves a weeklong outdoor school. El Camino Pines was the outdoor school of choice for Whittier in 2007. Students stayed near Frazier Park at a Lutheran-run outdoor school camp. During the week, students enjoyed community-building activities with core classes including weather lab, ornithology, forest and wildlife studies, astronomy and many other subjects. Students reported that they also enjoyed many fun electives such as wall climbing, survival, outdoor cooking and a ravine hike. The cozy cabins were large and the food was tasty. Each day began and ended with worship. Campfire Thursday night highlighted the weeklong adventure.

Vigorous physical education at WAES means most students return to their classrooms depleted but happy, and those classes also have an annual outdoor component. Each February, four skiing and snowboarding trips to nearby Mountain High complement classes for grades 5-8. Mrs. Heres, a professional physical education instructor, starts each class with a spiritual thought and prayer.