Highlights from Local Winterim Programs

Highlights from Local Winterim Programs

Winterim is in full swing this week. OES Upper School students are at a variety of locations around the US, in other countries, and right here at home in Portland.

We’re looking forward to sharing complete Winterim coverage with you after spring break, but in the meantime we wanted to share a few highlights from local programs happening this week.

In “Get Cheesy,” led by Julia Sikkink and Stephen Pyle, students learned about cheese through a field trip to a working dairy farm and a local artisanal cheesemaking operation. They got to learn how to make a number of different kinds of cheese from scratch, such as ricotta, farmhouse cheddar, and camembert.

In “Chinese Clay Street: Food, Elders, and Community,” led by Maggie Gilbride and Evan Britton, the students traveled to downtown Portland each day to engage with the Chinese elder community and Clay Street Table food bank. They volunteered at the food bank, got tips on making Chinese dumplings, and interviewed members of the elder community. 

A foodie voyage through Portland’s food carts and restaurants was a highlight of  “Watch, Eat, and Listen: A Learning Journey Through Portland’s Best Food, Films, and Stories,” led by Andy O’Hara and Przemek Tokarski. Students watched thought-provoking films on social justice causes, followed by engaging discussions and eating a wide variety of meals at Portland’s restaurants, as well as talking with Portland-area chefs about their own social justice causes.

In “Your Mission, If You Choose to Accept It,” led by Sarah Grenert-Funk and Meredith Primm, after watching Mission: Impossible movies for inspiration, students challenged themselves by sharpening their shooting skills on a paintball field, experiencing indoor skydiving, improving their logic skills at escape rooms, and practicing their get-away driving skills through go kart racing.

Safe travels to all our students as they return, and we look forward to sharing more about everyone's adventures!