- Kent School District
- Outdoor School
Outdoor School
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We are excited that the Kent School District is returning to a long-standing tradition of outdoor education for our elementary students. After a break caused by the Covid pandemic, elementary students will start attending these overnight learning opportunities again starting in January of 2024.
Some key changes to the program include:
- It is now a fifth-grade program.
- It is no longer called “camp” and is now called Outdoor School.
- All ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵapp schools will be attending the same facility (OSPREY Camp) in Tumwater.
- ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵapp high school students will be serving as mentors.
- A greater emphasis on teaching science standards.
- The experience is now largely funded through a grant provided by Outdoor School Washington, which means that schools do not need to do fundraising to fund this experience.
To help prepare your student for Outdoor School:
Please visit the for more information about the facility and program.
The total cost of the Outdoor School Experience is approximately 1 million dollars and is largely funded by grants through Outdoor School Washington, The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Kent Schools Foundation. A small amount of the funding will need to be funded at the local level.
We are asking for any individual and/or group that would like to contribute to the ongoing support of Outdoor School in Kent to donate using the link below. This money does not go to any specific school but instead helps fund outdoor education in Kent either this year or in future years. This is a dedicated fund and will only be used to support outdoor education.
Whether a family contributes to this fund or not it will not impact your child attending the outdoor school experience. No student will be asked to pay a fee to go to camp for the 23-24 school year.
Please select District Office and Outdoor School Donation to donate to support outdoor education.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where is OSPREY Camp located??
OSPREY Camp is located at Camp Solomon Schechter, just south of Olympia. With a private lake, river access, and 170-acres to explore, students, teachers, and Mentors thrive in our outdoor school setting.
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What is the meaning behind OSPREY Camp?
The acronym stands for Opportunities for Stewardship Promoting Respect for the Environment and Youth. Students will learn about the natural environment and how to use natural resources responsibly while practicing respect for themselves and others. Learn more at
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Can you describe the OSPREY Camp environment?
Our heated cabins sleep 10-16 comfortably and include fully functioning bathrooms with toilets, sinks, and showers. New friendships are formed while eating family style in our spacious dining hall. Nutritious meals are served in a kosher, pork-free, and nut-free facility. Heated indoor buildings and covered outdoor shelters provide space for classes to enjoy our outdoor school in the rain, snow, and sunshine. OSPREY Camp is designed to get our students outside no matter what the weather has in store!
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Can you describe the OSPREY Camp Program?
OSPREY Camp staff and Mentors are trained to teach standard-aligned curriculum with a focus on exploring our natural environment. All OSPREY Camp curriculum is presented by trained Mentors, in small groups, and keeps students actively engaged with hands-on lessons. In addition to academics, we provide a variety of camp-wide activities, including hiking, line dancing, owl calling, arts & crafts, campfires, and more! *Activities are dependent on the school’s assigned camp week and scheduled activities.
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Who will supervise my child while they are at camp?
During our academic sessions, students are supervised by their classroom teacher, with the assistance of our high school Mentors. Mentors, along with our adult OSPREY Camp staff, provide 24-hour supervision in the cabins, dining hall, and during all camp activities when their classroom teacher is not in the immediate proximity.
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How are Mentors selected?
OSPREY Camp Mentors are recruited from local high schools. Students submit competitive applications, which include a recommendation from a school faculty member. If selected, Mentors attend a weekend-long training event at OSPREY Camp. This intensive training is facilitated by the OSPREY Camp Staff and our dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers. Following their training, Mentors are invited to attend a week of camp based on their evaluations from the training weekend and/or on their previous evaluation as an OSPREY Camp Mentor. Mentors continue to receive direct training and guidance from our OSPREY Camp staff and teachers throughout their camp week.
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What happens if my child gets sick or injured?
Our onsite ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵapp Staff will assist students who are ill or injured. Their classroom teacher and any necessary OSPREY Camp staff will also be directly involved. If further medical attention is necessary, you will be contacted via phone. OSPREY Camp is 911 accessible.
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My child takes daily medication. How will this be handled??
Each school has medication distribution guidelines in accordance with their district’s medication distribution policy. Please talk with your child’s teacher or principal to obtain all required medication forms. ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵapp staff will be responsible for storing and administering daily medications to your child. All medications, prescription and over the counter, must be in their originally labeled bottle. There are no exceptions to this rule.
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My child is a bedwetter. How will this be handled?
Our experienced, knowledgeable, and extremely sensitive OSPREY Camp staff are trained to work with our students who experience frequent or infrequent bedwetting. Our goal is for your child to feel as comfortable as possible and be dry and successful while at camp. There is no shame in bedwetting, it can occur at any age, and discussing our staff’s plan with your child in advance is also very helpful. Please Note: If your child is a bedwetter, please include this information on their Permission Slip. Below are the strategies we implement for bedwetters:
- Our staff will speak privately with your child on their first evening of camp to let them know we received information from their parent/guardian and we will be discreetly waking them up, several times throughout the night (including ~ 1 hour after they go to bed, before our camp staff goes to bed, and when our camp staff wakes up in the morning), to ensure their success.
- Often, parents/guardians will send youth pull ups or diaper briefs for their child to wear under their pajamas as well. If so, camp staff will quietly wake your child up in the morning, about 10-15 minutes before others, so they can spend some alone time in the restroom, removing any hygiene items and cleaning or showering if necessary.
- If your child is a bedwetter, we will discreetly inform their Mentors for privacy and emotional support purposes. Mentors understand this sensitive information must be kept private.
- Mentors will check for wet sleeping bags every morning once students have been dismissed to the bell and exit the cabin. If a sleeping bag is wet, we will also replace their sleeping bag with a temporary one while washing theirs.
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My child is a sleepwalker. How will this be handled?
Our experienced and knowledgeable OSPREY Camp staff work frequently with sleepwalkers. Your child’s safety is our #1 priority during their time away from home. Please Note: If your child is a sleepwalker, please include this information on their Permission Slip. Below are the strategies we implement for sleepwalkers:
- Discreetly inform their cabin Mentors for safety purposes. Mentors understand this sensitive information must be kept private.
- Once lights are turned out in the cabins, staff will place large tin cans, outside of the cabin, directly in front of the door. If a child (or Mentor) were to sleepwalk and attempt to exit the cabin, they would walk into the tower of cans, causing them to crash onto the floor. This loud sound would awaken the Mentors and students in the cabin.
- We also place our sleepwalking students on the bottom bunk of our bunk beds and in a bunk furthest away from the front door. Our staff checks on each cabin throughout the night as well.
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What should my child bring to camp?
Please refer to our Packing List for a full list of items to send with your child and items that are not permitted at camp. Students should bring sturdy, closed toe walking shoes. Outdoor clothing is strongly advisable, jeans, leggings, t-shirts, sweatshirts, a raincoat, etc. Dressing in layers is also recommended. Due to the abundance of stinging nettles around camp and on the trails, shorts, capri pants, and tank tops are not allowed. Students and Mentors should bring a daypack/backpack and a water bottle. Lastly, everyone should pack an appetite for adventure, a positive attitude, and respect for all in attendance. The following items are NOT permitted at camp:
- Cell phones
- Electronics of any kind (including tablets, e-readers, laptops, video games, etc.)
- Food, snacks, candy, gum, beverages of any kind
- Weapons of any kind (including pocketknives, Leatherman, hand axes, etc.)
- Legal or illegal drugs
- Alcohol
- Nicotine products, vapes, Juuls, etc.
- Pornography, inappropriate reading materials of any kind
- Offensive, inappropriate, or suggestive clothing of any kind
- Bear spray, mace, pepper spray
- Money, expensive items (E.g., watches, cameras)
- Perfume, Axe Body Spray, or Body Sprays of any kind *for individuals with asthma and allergies
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Can my child bring their cell phone to camp?
OSPREY Camp is an Electronic-Free Zone and items such as cell phones, electronic reading/music devices, laptops/tablets, video games, etc. are not allowed. We provide the unique opportunity of “unplugging and being present,” allowing our students, teachers, and Mentors to be fully engaged with each other and themselves throughout the week. Classroom teachers and OSPREY Camp staff will contact parents/guardians in the event of an emergency. *See Student, Parent, Mentor, Teacher, and Guest CODE OF CONDUCT.
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Should I send food, snacks, or beverages with my child?
Camp Solomon Schechter, the home of OSPREY Camp, is a kosher facility and therefore NO outside food/snacks/gum/candy/beverages are allowed inside. We are also a pork-free and nut-free facility. Three well-balanced and delicious meals are provided each day. Additionally, fresh fruit and/or midday snacks are available if your child is hungry. *See Student, Parent, Mentor, Teacher, and Guest CODE OF CONDUCT.
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Does OSPREY Camp accommodate dietary needs and food allergies?
Our amazing chef and kitchen staff can accommodate most dietary needs (E.g., Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy-Free) and food allergies. Parents/guardians are responsible for providing this specific information on their child’s Permission Slip, prior to their assigned camp week. OSPREY Camp is a kosher, pork-free and nut-free facility.
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Is OSPREY Camp affiliated with the Jewish faith?
OSPREY Camp is a secular program, housed at Camp Solomon Schechter, a Jewish camp facility. We welcome all students, teachers, and Mentors regardless of their belief systems. The OSPREY Camp program does not have any religious affiliation.