1500K for SRCA: A fundraiser successfully completed by the East family when 1500 kilometers were collectively hiked over the course of the summer, to raise funding for Shining Rock Classical Academy’s experiential learning programs.
Well, we did it! 1500 kilometers and then some! From the first grueling miles hiked to the summit of Mt. LeConte and winning Tremont’s scavenger hunt fundraising event (still so proud of my kids and our buddy Teagan for this monumental success!) to the final mile when I walked my kids to the school, it was quite a learning experience for all of us. I found it serendipitous and incredibly powerful that the last mile happened to coincide with our first walk to the school after it opened. I kid you not, the building is 0.9 miles from our home (we had 0.8 miles remaining to meet our goal).
Technically, that poignant walk to school may have been the last mile “hiked,” but perhaps the most meaningful mile I walked was during our outdoor experiential learning days on Lake Logan’s campus. I took various grades on hikes to identify various trees and plants in the forest Seeing the excitement in the eyes of our students as they squeezed the exploding seed pods of Jewelweed or as they came across a plant they identified on their scavenger hunt list was like a dream come true. These days at Lake Logan, I might add, were funded by our generous donors.
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| Our students loved our scavenger hunt hike at Lake Logan! |
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| One 6th grader told me he fulfilled a lifelong dream of paddling a kayak and that it was one of the best days of his life. Our donors helped this dream come true, so give yourself a virtual hug from Josh if you’re one of them. |
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| Nature journals were provided to the kids at Lake Logan to record their findings and thoughts about the days we spent there |
Not long before school started, a community acquaintance commended our board’s perseverance. She then asked me an interesting question–why a charter school? Why subject ourselves to the innate controversy of starting a charter school when we could have considered opening a private school instead. The answer was easy–because we wanted every child, regardless of their family’s economic status, to have an equal chance for an alternative education in Haywood County.
Case in point: I attended Wogene’s field trip to the WNC Nature Center a few weeks ago, and I was surprised at how many children in his class had never been to this wonderful facility. Perhaps Asheville is too far off the radar for some folks, but I suspect, for at least a few, food on the table was a higher priority for their precious income. I imagine these particular children are quite possibly the ones who will enjoy our place-based, experiential learning opportunities the most.
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| Wogene, Raynna, and Levi say THANK YOU for helping their class visit the nature center! |
While we’ve met our hiking goal, what we haven’t quite met is our fundraising one! We’re almost there though, so if you’ve been waiting to see if we succeeded before you donated, now’s the time! See the bottom of this post for the ways you can donate. Already, our teachers have taken our students on many field trips and the donations we’ve received through this fundraiser have played a huge part in making them happen.
My cup overflows with love for our school, and I truly cannot thank each and every person who has supported us throughout the journey. Enjoy the pictures of money well spent and minds being strengthened through experiential learning! (If you’d like to follow along on our school’s journey and see the ongoing places we take our students, our Facebook page is the best place to visit)
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| The 4th graders are studying personal narratives so they made a trip to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial |
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| These 4th grade boys have more energy than I have ever had cumulatively in my life! I love that Shining Rock teachers give them ample to to expend some of it on field trips! |
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| After the 4th graders visited the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, they took an architecture tour in downtown Asheville. Here, they are writing about the architectural elements of the flat iron building across the street. What better way to bring architecture to life than to visit representative buildings you’re studying in the classroom! |
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| Bradley and all our 1st graders had a great time at the Pisgah Gem Mine! |
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| The earth provides all sorts of treasures! |
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| Ms. Fischer and Maya both say THANK YOU for helping them visit the Colburn Earth and Science Museum and the Pisgah Gem Mine! And FYI, my awesome and inspiring sister, Amanda Muri, is one our resident occupational therapist, ESL teacher, and 1st grade teaching assistant (she’s a busy lady, clearly!) |
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| Our 6th graders went on a “world tour” of religions in Asheville, visiting a Catholic basilica, Jewish temple, Buddhist temple, and Islamic mosque. |
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| Learning about Siddhartha’s life during the visit to Urban Dharma was fascinating to our students |
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| Kindergarten classes visited Sky Top Orchard to use all five of their senses while they explored the orchard! |
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| They also learned about pollination at the orchard. Such fun! |
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| 5th graders were fortunate enough to attend the Haywood Soil and Water Conservation Field Day and meet Smokey the Bear! |
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| Meeting birds of prey is always a cool experience. |
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| From our Shining Rock Family to our donors–THANK YOU!!!! |
“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.”
–Elizabeth Gilbert
How to Donate
To date, we have reached 77% of our $25,000 goal for Shining Rock Classical Academy’s experiential programming but we’d LOVE to meet our full goal!!
Here’s how you can help with our mission to provide engaging, educational, and downright awesome opportunities for our students, especially for those who might not otherwise have these experiences in their lives:
1. Send a check to 222 Methodist Drive, Lake Junaluska, NC 28745, made out to Shining Rock Classical Academy.
2. Click on this link and you’ll be taken to Crowd Rise, an online fundraising website, where you can donate with a credit card.
All contributions are tax deductible and we will send you a receipt with our 501c3 information