What Is The Oakmont Outdoor Program?

Implemented in September of 2009, the Oakmont Outdoor School  program engages students  in active learning by immersing them in one of the earth’s six biomes in a variety of ways, including: 

• Frequent outdoor learning experiences focused on the grade-level biome.  These field study experiences will be the foundation of scientific inquiry and will engage students in higher level thinking. 

• Year long, thematic instruction that connects grade-level standards to the biome

• Project based learning activities

• A culminating field study in the grade level biome.  Primary students attend an extended day experience and upper grade students attend overnight experiences.

FIRST GRADE

Forest Biome

After studying about rainforest, deciduous and conifer forests, students will travel to each in 3 field study days (in our local mountains and in nearby botanic gardens).

THIRD GRADE

Grassland Biome

After studying grasslands around the world, like the US Great Plains and the African Savannah, students will travel for a field day at The Santa Rosa Plateau in Murietta.

FIFTH GRADE

Marine Biome:

After learning about our earth’s waters, including local streams, lakes and vernal pools, students will travel to Santa Cruz Island (CA Channel Island) to be immersed in our beautiful Pacific Ocean and a preserve which is untouched by humans and demonstrates what California was like in the past (3 day, 2 night trip).

Transitional And Traditional Kindergarten

Transitional Kindergarten:  Introduction to 6 Biomes

Students will spend roughly one month exploring each biome that they will experience at Oakmont and culminate their learning at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.

Kindergarten:  Introduction to 6 Biomes

Students will spend roughly one month learning about each biome that they will experience at Oakmont and culminate their learning in a Biome Safari at the LA County Zoo.

SECOND GRADE

Arctic/Antarctic Biome

After learning all about the pole regions of our planet, students will travel to Sea World in San Diego to spend an extended field day exploring The Wild Arctic Experience.

FOURTH GRADE

Desert Biome

After learning about our earth’s vast deserts, students will travel to our local Coachella Valley to spend a day learning in a preserve and spend the night at The Living Desert Zoo and Botanic Garden (2 day, 1 night trip).

SIXTH GRADE

Shrubland Biome

The Culmination of our Thematic Program

After learning about the biome they live in, the Shrubland, students travel to Arrowhead, California to experience the wonder of our local habitat firsthand. They will use the knowledge they have gained throughout their time here at Oakmont to study ponds, hike through forests, and identify flora and fauna of our biome (5 day, 4 night trip).