Here’s what the month looked like across Y.E.T.I.
Snow Days (Kind Of…)
March snow was… inconsistent at best.
Foster High School made it up to Stevens Pass to keep the snowboarding going, still building confidence and getting turns in.
Beverly Park Elementary headed to Snoqualmie Pass ready for a full snow day and ended up sledding on what can only be described as a tiny snowbank in a mostly grassy parking lot. Didn’t matter. Snowball fights broke out, sleds were dragged across patches of white, and kids fully committed to digging, throwing, and making the most of what was left.
Sylvester Middle School got a better version of winter with snowshoeing, sledding, free play, and a hike out to the bridge. Lots of choice, lots of movement, and lots of joy.
Creative Days On-Campus
Glacier Middle School stayed on campus for an outdoor art day.
Students created nature-based art, shared reflections, and built a really supportive, creative environment. There were strong “good vibe” moments with lo-fi music, a tea station, and even an ice cream truck visit to kick things off.
Climbing & Facing Fears
Camp Long stayed busy.
Mount Rainier, Maritime, and Showalter all spent time climbing and rappelling. There were definitely some nerves, especially at the top of the rappel, but students worked through it. A lot of “I don’t know about this…” turning into “okay wait that was actually fun.”
Climbing kept going beyond Camp Long too: weekend open enrollment trips to Seattle Bouldering Project (twice!), Edgeworks Tacoma, and even an outdoor day at Exit 38 with high schoolers.
Lots of problem solving, a lot of falling and trying again, and students getting really into figuring out routes together.
Biking in the Worst (Best?) Conditions
March biking conditions were rough. Student attitudes were not.
Sylvester Middle School rode in gusting wind and nonstop rain at Van Doren’s Landing Park. Puddles everywhere. Not one complaint. Leo, on his very first Y.E.T.I. trip, was smiling the entire ride.
Evergreen High School put in a solid 6-mile ride along the Green River Trail, mixing movement with learning about the Green & Duwamish Waterways. One student, Konomi, said one of the quotes of the month:
“We don’t have clubs like this back home… I want to start one because it’s good for me, and it would be good for others too.”
Weekend open enrollment riders took things up a notch at Black Diamond Open Space. Flowy cross-country trails, a downhill favorite (Crooshal), and a very fun, very chaotic bike wash at the end, which somehow became a highlight.
Paddle School (Pool Edition)
Sylvester Middle School took kayaking indoors at Mt. Rainier Pool.
Students rotated through kayaks, practicing entries, strokes, and capsize recovery, while others played games in the shallow end.
Big moments came from students helping each other, stabilizing boats, cheering each other on, and building confidence in a controlled space. It’s a strong step toward future open-water adventures!
Birding at Seward Park
Seward Park was the spot this month.
Pacific, Glacier, Maritime, and Mount Rainier all spent time there, many in partnership with Audubon.
Students got hands-on with binoculars and field guides, spotting cormorants, ducks, geese, robins, and even a pileated woodpecker stealing the show at the feeder.
There was time inside the Audubon center too, taxidermy displays sparked curiosity. There were also games (salmon, bear, mosquito made a return), journaling, playground stops, and a lot of wandering through old-growth forest.
Hikes & Just Getting Outside
A lot of steady hiking this month.
Showalter at Marine View Park, Foster at Dash Point, and a mix of groups rotating through Seward, Saltwater, and Seahurst.
Pacific had new students joining almost every week, which brought a lot of energy, figuring out names, building trust, and settling into what Y.E.T.I. feels like.
Tidepooling is Back
Low tide days came back and everyone showed up for it.
Evergreen, Pacific, Mount Rainier, Sylvester, Maritime, Glacier, Showalter; lots of groups out at Saltwater and Seahurst.
There was real teamwork in figuring out how to carefully move rocks and spot creatures, and just as much focus on putting everything back the way it was.
The Big Picture
March was unpredictable in weather, in plans, in snow levels, but students kept showing up ready for it.
They rode through storms without complaining. They rappelled through fear. They chose their own adventures. They spotted birds, flipped rocks, shared ideas, helped each other, and stayed curious the whole way through.
From tiny snowbanks to tidepools full of life, it was a month of making the most of what’s in front of you.
