August 15th, 2025

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

(This communication will also be sent home with your child)

Exploring New Horizons (ENH) at Semper Virens outdoor school is one of the important and anticipated parts of the 5th-grade learning experience at John Muir Elementary.  The ENH outdoor school in Scott’s Valley, California, in the Santa Cruz mountains will host our 5th-grade students from November 12th-14th in a 2-night and 3-day experience at beautiful Camp Sempervirens.  

This dynamic two-night, three-day experience unites both classes from John Muir’s 5th grade in one camp experience.   Overnight Camp is full of traditional outdoor activities like campfires, hikes, skits, and the chance to sleep under the trees and stars. Campers disconnect from technology and the distractions of outside life, offering an unforgettable positive experience.

At the camp, their number one priority is providing a safe, positive camper experience. They believe that campers are most successful when given the opportunity to push themselves out of their comfort zones and discover in themselves resiliency, responsibility, and confidence.  The John Muir teachers will be attending the camp with the students and will be teaching alongside the counselors at different parts of the camp. We may need at least 2 adult chaperones for the three-day program.  Click here for access to the program overview.  Or type:

   https://www.exploringnewhorizons.org/sempervirens/program-overview/

John Muir is committed to sending every fifth-grade student, regardless of ability to pay.  Scholarships and partial scholarships will be provided to every student who requests one. 

To start our sign-up and fundraising process, we ask each family to fill out and return the form below.  The cost per student for outdoor school is $550 this year.  This includes tuition of $405, transportation fee of $65, and a supervision fee of $80

Please fill out the attached form with a commitment for how much you are able to pay, and whether you are able to contribute to the scholarship & expenses fund. 

PLEASE RETURN THE FORM BELOW AND ALL ENH REGISTRATION FORMS BY Friday, September 12th to your child’s teacher.   Please include a check made out to JM PTA, OR indicate that you paid online.  If you would like to pay online, click this link  Outdoor School and pay.  (There is also a QR code on the response form.) Please be sure to put in the notes your student's name.

Please be on the lookout for a parent zoom information meeting.  

Sincerely,

Jessica Mejia-Smith                Paco Furlan

Mary Martin                John MuirPrincipal

                JM PTA

5th Grade Teachers and 5th Grade Room Parents

OUTDOOR SCHOOL 2025

Response Form

(Please return by Friday, September 12)

Student Name         

Parent/Guardian Name          

Contact email and phone         

☐ My family will pay the full per-student amount of $550

___Check enclosed  ___ Paid it online ___Payment by 9/12/25

☐ My family will pay $_______ and requests a scholarship for the rest of the fee

___Check enclosed ___ Paid it online___ Payment by 9/12/25

☐  My family is requesting a full scholarship.

☐ My family will pay the full per-student amount of $550 and also donate

$ _______ towards scholarships & Outdoor School expenses.

___ Check enclosed  ___Paid it online __ Payment by 9/12/25

To pay online you can use the QR code below

or the outdoor school homepage that has a payment link at the bottom of the page:

 https://www.johnmuirelementary.org/outdoor-school

Scholarship/Expense Fund donations (over the $550 cost)

 can be matched by employers and are tax-deductible.