We’d like to thank the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation for the wonderful field trip we took to Camp Waskowitz on Dec. 7, 2005. The foundation paid for more that half of the cost for every fourth-grade student at North Bend Elementary School. We learned a lot about Washington State history.

We learned about Native Americans, homesteading, gold mining and the railroad. The Native American session was interesting and fun. We were able to taste salmon that was really smoked for two days in their smokehouse. At the longhouse, we got to use a hammer and ax to help carve out a cedar canoe. When we built the log cabin, the logs looked like big “Lincoln Logs” and we had to work as a team. Carving the wood with the small two-handled saw to make the logs was interesting and hard work.

We used pans to pan for gold and gold specks in the Snoqualmie River. Wearing helmets, we went into a tunnel and put big pieces of coal in the mining cart, just like in the 1850’s. The rails for the railroad were very heavy and the ties were awkward to move. Learning to use the telegraph required the use of the Morse code. The Morse code was hard to learn. All of these stations were fun and we learned a lot, too.

The students in the “Mighty Fourth Grade” at North Bend Elementary would like to again thank the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation for making this field trip possible. We had a great time.

The fourth-grade students taught by Shari Myers

North Bend Elementary School