Mountaineering Log – September 2014

Mountaineering Log Entry

Climbing Team: Odyssey School

Date:9/8/13

Location: Mountains of Northern California Dear Odyssey Community Members,

You can feel it all around campus. It is in the air hovering over Odyssey’s entry gate. It gently drifts up the hill and across our beautiful fountain centerpiece. It hovers in the ether over the front deck and swirls around our green playing field. It eddies in the hallways with a magical resonance. You can see it in the sparkling eyes of our students, parents, and teachers. The mystical current spiraling all over campus is the feeling of deep pride and excitement for a small educational institution we all lovingly call Odyssey School.

At this time, as Head of School, I have the honor and executive privilege to announce the annual theme for the year. This is not to be confused with the academic themes advanced by our instructors. Rather, the school’s annual theme offers all members of the Odyssey community an invitation and opportunity to explore the higher philosophical ground of ethical living within the broader context of age appropriate challenge, respect, and manifold opportunities for life-­‐long learning for all.

It’s Happening Right Now: Climb On!

A gifted educator who possessed an inner restlessness founded Odyssey School in 1996. He had rich experience in the teaching and learning process and felt deeply about how to make schools better for students. Mr. Steve Smuin demonstrated a pioneering spirit and a flair for innovation that inspired a small nuclear band of teachers to build a better educational mousetrap with the help of many interested and dedicated parents. Two other founding educators, Lee Shult and Jan Pickering, helped Steve in the serious endeavor of caring for young students. Consequently, Odyssey School was launched and a mountaineering team of teachers and students braved the higher altitudes of educating young bright minds while assisting parents on their diverse journeys through their children’s adolescent years. A mountaineering expedition had begun!

Over the years, systems were refined and pedagogical goals were envisioned and executed and the Odyssey School climbers continued to ascend to the higher heights of the educational landscape while discovering new and exciting instructional and experiential waypoints. After the founding head retired, Daniel Popplewell was appointed as the “Lead Climber” and Daniel continued to push his mountaineering team further into the rarefied air of high altitude while improving protection and belaying systems to support all team members. He understood that his primary mission was to inspire his crew to “Climb on!” In addition to the climbing participants, a dedicated Board of Trustees stood firmly at the base of all new pitches and steadfastly handled the anchoring systems that insured safety for all climbers.

This year’s annual theme is designed to clearly signal the Odyssey Mountaineering Team’s intention to continue to seek out new and challenging educational climbing venues that will exercise our students’ intellectual, physical, and emotional acumens. Just yesterday, I took our 12 third-­‐year students to Mount Shasta so that they could experience the magical qualities of that area. Many people consider Mount Shasta to be one of the “Sacred Mountains” on Earth and they also believe that Shasta is the sister mountain to Mount Fujiyama, another sacred mountain in Japan. Our team of 12 student climbers, most likely, set two school records in 27 hours. They climbed to a position just under 9,000 feet in altitude and later spent the night camped at an altitude of 7,500 feet. They experienced rugged conditions, high altitude, mountaineering team camaraderie, and exceptional scenery with copious views of mountains and valleys fifty miles out in the distance. Meanwhile, some ninety miles away, Odyssey’s younger students were tackling various ropes course challenges with enthusiasm as they worked with team members to chart successful strategies for success. All students are currently deep into the conceptual realm of the Hero’s and Heroine’s Journey and all look forward to their return home on Friday.

You can feel it all around campus. It is unmistakable. School pride and excitement have combined to form a powerful contagion that is infecting many folks who have never heard of Odyssey before. Our school is full and the phone continues to ring. New students and parents are expressing their keen interest in joining future expeditions. Odyssey School is ready to scale new uncharted peaks. As the new and proud Head of School, I invite you to join our educational adventure. Remember – don’t forget your climbing boots and harnesses and please pack a robust rack of carabiners. You will certainly need them!

 It’s Happening Right Now: Climb On!

Namaste,

Steveo

Climbing Sirdar

Odyssey Mountaineering Team

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” John Muir, 1874