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Outdoor Learning

The world is our classroom.

Outdoor Learning

In addition to day and overnight field trips throughout the year, these traditional annual outings are baked into the K-12 student experience as part of our dedication to fostering community and connecting lessons learned in the classroom with the outside world.

Back to School

At San Domenico, the back-to-school season also means students participate in outings. For our Lower School students, outings take the form of on-campus activities. For Middle and Upper School students, outings are like mini rites of passage that they look forward to every year.

Planned according to developmental stages, sixth through twelfth grade students white water raft down the American River, head south to kayak the Santa Cruz Bay or North to Lake Sonoma, tackle a challenging ropes course through the redwoods of Occidental, reflect in the natural perfection of Point Reyes, and more. These trips build upon our core value of community and help new and returning students bond over shared experiences. These outings create lasting memories, and help to establish crucial ties that make a strong community even stronger.
 

Back to School trips

Service Projects

Kindergarten through eighth grade students participate in countless outings for service projects in nearby towns and cities. Many of our Upper School students opt to travel for their Real Opportunities for Service in Education (ROSE) Projects. These service learning projects are required for graduation at SD, but they are so much more than a requirement. They represent the coming together of years of inquiry and conversation in Ethics, Philosophy, and Global Studies classes, where students explore subjects such as food systems, climate change, social justice, and more. 

ROSE Projects represent the depth of our community culture and commitment to service. Some students travel regionally, while others travel to other parts of the United States, and others choose to serve in countries such as Nigeria, China, or Vietnam.
 

Spring Discovery

Every spring, SD Upper School students have the opportunity to step out of the norm with fully immersive, project-based, experiential learning and discovery trips outside of the classroom. Spring Discovery offers students the opportunity to stretch their limits, deepen their sense of community, and broaden their knowledge through hands-on, real-world application of what they are learning in the classroom. 

Students might go rock climbing at Joshua Tree, snorkel on Catalina Island, practice compassion with our developmentally disabled neighbors at Cedars Art Studio, volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, visit the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, or explore the unique marine biology of San Francisco Bay. The destinations and opportunities are endless, as teachers develop programming in response to student interest and the cultural zeitgeist.

Spring Discovery Trips