Carpenter Elementary School PTA
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Camp Chameleon is an outdoor learning space unique to our school!!

WELCOME!
As we start our year, we have a special invitation to our families to come an explore the space.
​Maintenance Days 
It does take some work to keep the space tidy for the teachers and students.  Once per month we take some time to clean up, do some pruning, and weeding.  All families are invited to our maintenance days, it gives your student ownership in the space that they visit with their teachers!   Come even if it’s just for 30 minutes!

​Questions or concerns, please contact Sophie Bolick to discuss.

Want to see these and other events?  See our PTA Events Calendar .


Camp Chameleon had some excitement in spring 2018!  The 5th graders learned more about Forces and Motion with the help of a Trebuchet.  Thanks to Scott Pratt, Joe Nicke Jr. Karl Ulrich, and Mark Dixon who built and demonstrated this machine.  Joe Nicke Jr. edited the footage and uploaded it to YouTube (private video not searchable).

Also, we introduced a Big Clock Demo to the 1st grade classes.  A huge hit with the students, and special thanks to Joe Nicke Jr. for realizing the vision from the teachers!

​In addition, the Kindergartners planted seeds in the raised beds.  They will harvest when they come back as 1st graders in July.
Ms. Newson and Ms. Holland's 1st grade class with the Big Clock!!
Ms. Bowers 1st Grade with the Big Clock!!
Mr. Smith recorded a video to demonstrate how the Big Clock is demonstrated to the classes!
The Kindergarteners planted seeds in the raised beds behind the school.  In July, they will harvest their crop as 1st Graders!

About Camp Chameleon
About Camp Chameleon
In 2009, the Carpenter Elementary School PTA proposed an Outdoor Science Center to be located in the Northwest corner of the school’s property, with the goal of having a hands-on environment for children to learn and appreciate the physical science of the natural world.  Construction on the center started in the Fall of 2010, and had two sections:  a native plant garden and outdoor “explorium” on the West side and a butterfly nursery on the East side.
Recently added in 2015-16 were raised garden beds for planting, with future plans to add an automatic watering system.
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West Center
  • The Pavilion (Outdoor Classroom A): There are two rain barrels for water collection on either side of the pavilion.  With its sloping roof, open sides, and benches it is the perfect place to learn about the outside world.  Planned additions to the pavilion are a wind sock and rain gauges to allow students to monitor weather in a real and tangible way.
  • The Solar-Polar Plaza has a beautiful tiled compass/sundial that is at True North for the children to explore direction, perform exercises measuring their shadows and tell time using the sun.
  • The “Make a Mess Plaza” is an open space with concrete surfacing for the teachers to use as they wish.  Trellises are being added that can be used to hang artwork to dry, or for a teacher to hang a lesson plan for the children to see while working on a project outdoors.
  • Birdhouses
  • Rock Garden
  • Chimes and Tung Drum
  • Big Clock Demo
  • Weather Station
  • Leaf Wall.  This wall will have impressions or tiles of the leaves from various native trees.  This stone and tile wall will be a tool to teach children how to identify some of the plants that are all around them.
East Center
The East Center of Camp Chameleon (Outdoor Classroom B) is a Butterfly Nursery.  There are 3 raised beds that can be planted with different types of herbs and plants that encourage certain butterflies to land and lay eggs on the leaves.  Please note, these “larva food plants” are not for human consumption in our nursery, even if they may be plants one would purchase in a store.  The shrubs around the raised beds are all suitable for feeding adult butterflies.

This is also a great place for the students to sit outside and observe nature around them.  Benches offer a seating for the students.


Previous events 2017...
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Latest enhancement for Spring 2017 - Water storage for a future automated watering system!

2nd Graders did an evaporation experiment to learn about states of mater!  The Thermal Imaging camera was a big hit after we discussed how temperature changes the rate of evaporation!  Download the file to see what they did.
evaporation_experiment_presentation__1_.pdf
File Size: 476 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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  • News
  • Shop
  • Membership
  • Events + Activities
    • PTA Events Calendar
    • Science Expo
    • Art Reflections
    • Run Club
  • Volunteer
  • Contribute
    • Staff Lounge Donations
    • Donations
  • Camp Chameleon
  • For Teachers + Staff
  • About
    • Board Members
    • Committees